


At The World's End

by StayInMyLane



Series: Our Most Beautiful Moments In Life [4]
Category: ATEEZ (Band), Stray Kids (Band), TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: ATEEZ cameos, Adventure of a Lifetime, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, BTS cameos - Freeform, Everyone is immortal, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Fluff and Crack, Friendship, Happy Ending, Lots of kissing, Love, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, OT5, Romance, Some sexy times, eternal love yo, i like camellias, i try to be poetic, light angst?, multifandom - Freeform, stray kids cameos - Freeform, the chapter titles are songs that inspire me, violence because they are supernatural creatures duh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:55:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 56,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25715404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StayInMyLane/pseuds/StayInMyLane
Summary: This is the sequel to "Until the Camellias Wither"We follow Tomorrow by Together's story and what happened to them while the members of Stray Kids were saving the world.WARNING: you MUST read the first story before reading this.Stray Kids as well as the other important members of the first story will be making cameos, because their timelines all intertwined together with each other.
Relationships: Bang Chan/OT8, Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin
Series: Our Most Beautiful Moments In Life [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970839
Comments: 27
Kudos: 98





	1. Magic

_“But how are we going to get there?”_

_The response to his question came with an innocent smile on his lips and a mischievous glint to his eyes: one eye shining violet and the other green._

_“Shall we run away?” He asked the others._

*******************************

Seokjin straightened his robes around him in the grass, reaching out a finger to gently touch the hourglass in front of him. The sands of time softly floated to the bottom of the glass, almost like the ashes of burning flower petals after being lit ablaze. He was thinking long and hard about something. Very rarely do you see this expression on his face. 

He pursed his lips into a thin line, his eyes flickering with a knowing of what was to come. 

Like he did once before, so many lifetimes ago, it was time to meddle again. 

"Do you think you could do me a favor?" He finally spoke to the god of magic and nature, who was sitting nearby him.

Kim Taehyung lifted his head from his arms to look at his hyung through dark wavy bangs. He was lying in the grass on his stomach, kicking his feet childishly in the air while playing with the flowers. His emerald green robes bunched around his frame, and his long dangle earrings glinted in the moonlight. 

"Hmmm?" He responded, caressing the beautiful red flower that bloomed in front of him. 

"I need you to grant life to a fox," seokjin told him. "you think you can do that?" 

Taehyung flicked his clever eyes to seokjin for a moment, and then gazed back down to the flower, his finger tracing each petal with such care and love. "Of course hyung. But why?" 

Seokjin hesitated, not wanting to bring up this topic again. They've lived too peacefully for too long to subject themselves to these painful memories of their time before the void. 

"My past is beginning to haunt me once more," he finally told taehyung. He would never lie to any of them, no matter how guilty he feels.

Taehyung didn't say anything, his finger pausing on the red flower petals he was currently tracing. His face gave nothing away of the memories from long ago, but seokjin knows what the other must be feeling at the mention of the past. 

Taehyung was quiet for a few more agonizing moments before speaking up again. "Of course I will help you hyung. We all will. This time, it isn't just _your_ battle. You don't have to fight this alone anymore. We are here by your side, as it should've been from the beginning. As it will be until the end of time." 

Taehyung continued to stare down at the flower, his finger hovering over the petal. 

He watched with a soft expression and compassionate eyes as the petal began to catch fire, spreading to the next petal and then the next until the entire blossom burned. The flaming petals withered and turned to ash, and then the wind took them away, scattering them across the dimensions of time and space.

"The void won't win," he whispered to seokjin in the night, his words holding a promise that all seven of them will keep deep within their hearts.

***

The small fox heaved its final breaths, counting down its last seconds here on this world of the living. He lived a good life, albeit a hard one. He closed his small eyes, a soft whine escaping his throat as he settled into the grass.

Just before he can finally die and move on to the afterlife, the earth around him began to glow a soft green, sparks of magic floating around the fox like fireflies.

Rustling of leaves could be heard in the distance, and a lone figure slowly approached the dying fox.

The God of Nature and Magic hummed a catchy melody, filling the cool night air with a musical noise. His heavily ringed fingers brushed up against the leaves and trees almost lovingly as he made his way across the forest grass. He had long silk robes of emerald and forest greens, woven from the threads of the void itself. His hair was a dark chocolate brown styled in soft waves that fell into his eyes. He had extravagant earrings of emeralds from the void glittering in his ears, stones only he was granted to wear. He was extremely beautiful in an ethereal sort of way.

Kim Taehyung stopped in front of the small fox, still humming the catchy tune. The plants and vegetation around him instantly perked up at his presence and voice, revitalizing themselves just from him standing there.

The fox was too weak to look upon the startling sight before him, death only moments away from taking him.

Kim taehyung leaned down, smiling at the small creature. “You are a rarity little fox. You have made it through one thousand years of suffering and hardship, only to die with nothing and no one by your side.”

The fox could not answer, not even perk his ears up to listen. The god of Nature and Magic placed his hand atop the fox’s head, and slowly stroked down his small frame to the tip of his tail. He left a trail of golden green in his wake across the fox’s back. The magic slowly seeped into the fox, vein by vein, as it glowed throughout his body until he was completely engulfed in the bright light.

When Taehyung stood back up, it was no longer a fox lying on the grass at his feet, but instead a boy. He had blue hair like the color of the ocean. His face was beautiful, however fox-like features were still evident if you looked close enough, especially in the shape of his eyes.

Yeonjun changed from a small fox animal into a fox spirit. He had a human form now, but he could still transform at will into a version of the animal he used to be. He continued to lay on his back in the grass in agony, panting heavily at the exertion he endured from almost dying to transforming.

The soft green glow around them started to dim in color, but it still lingered in the air with the god’s magic.

Yeonjun stared up at the god, his clever fox-like eyes studying him closely. It hurt too much to breathe let alone move from his place in the grass.

“I blessed you with a new form little fox. Your old life has ended. However, a new life awaits you now. Be grateful, because this almost never happens. You are a rarity indeed,” kim taehyung told him proudly, admiring his handiwork.

There were legends of animals becoming spirits if they live a humble life of one thousand years. Almost no one makes it that long, but in the rare case that one of them does, they are granted an eternal life as a second chance. Yeonjun was one of those few.

“What am I?” yeonjun whispered, still unable to talk properly.

“A fox spirit. Your kind are known by many names. You are part fae now, but fox spirits dont usually classify with the fae race. You have the freedom to do as you choose,” the god of nature answered him.

Before yeonjun could ask any more questions, the God of Time materialized before him. Yeonjun noted he was equally as beautiful as the god of nature and magic, long blue silk robes covering his tall frame. Yeonjun shivered involuntarily, a slight nervousness overtaking him at being in the presence of not one, but two gods. He felt bare and vulnerable with these gods staring down at him like he was a crumb on the floor. Perhaps to them he was.

It was almost as if the god of time could read his thoughts.

“You are more important than you think,” seokjin told him, a kind smile on his lips. Yeonjun continued to lay sprawled in the grass, the peaceful unearthly glow of magic hovering around them.

Yeonjun licked his lips, not responding to the god.

“I want to show you something,” seokjin continued, wasting not a single moment. He pulled out a watch on a chain and let it dangle from his delicate fingers. Instantly, like a drum banging loudly around him, the sounds of the clock began to ring through yeonjun’s ears.

Seokjin stood above yeonjun, slowly swinging the watch back and forth. Yeonjun’s eyes were drawn to the momentum of the clock, and he couldn’t help but watch as it passed by his vision over and over.

Yeonjun entered a trance and it felt like his whole body was being pulled into a million different directions. He felt like his mind and body were being sucked into a deep vortex.

Images began to flash before him at a rapid pace in tandem with the ticking of the second hand on a clock. It went so fast he almost couldnt keep up. Many sounds and pictures flooded his mind all at once, and all he could do was lay there paralyzed, watching helplessly.

The sound of the clock echoed in the forest and in his mind.

_Tick.  
_

He saw a tall dark haired boy with violet eyes and dimples when he smiled. The boy held out a hand to yeonjun, beckoning him to follow.

“Come on yeonjunnie hyung, the others are waiting for us,” he said in a smooth and deep voice. 

_Tock._

He saw a boy with gray-blonde hair and a devious smile on his face. The boy annoyingly harassed and poked another boy next to him.

“Come on and play with me you nerd! Arent i pretty, taehyunnie?” he whined cutely.

The other boy with light brown hair snorted and rolled his eyes. He closed the big book of spells in front of him with a sigh.

“Yes beomgyu, you’re beautiful. Now go away,” taehyun laughed as he lightly shoved the other in the shoulder.

_Tick._

“This is a new addition to your group. He is a halfling that is on the run and must be protected.”

Yeonjun noticed a beautiful but fragile looking boy, one eye green and the other eye violet. Instantly he and the black haired boy shared a knowing look with each other, wide smiles on their faces.

“He’s the cutest in the world!! Don't you agree with me soobinnie?!” he heard himself ask the other.

_Tock._

The images began to crash and meld together faster and faster. He saw fire and smoke. People were yelling and running around in chaos.

“Beomgyu!” taehyun held his hand out, his eyes glowing a very bright hazel. He frantically called for his friend in panic. Beomgyu materialized at his call with chains around his neck that linked and attached to taehyun. It glowed the same color as taehyun’s eyes. With great effort, he reached for taehyun among the fire and wind, their fingers just barely brushing each other. Beomgyu called for taehyun’s name before they were separated again in the mayhem.

_Tick._

He saw soobin, searching for something and shaking from fear.

“Where’s ningning?” he yelled to the others. “Has anyone seen hueningkai?!!”

_Tock._

He saw lots of fire and magic lingering in the air. He saw hueningkai stepping into a pool of water, completely submerging himself under the surface.

_Tick._

He saw himself, linking hands with the other four while they stood atop a magic circle of blue flames.

“Even at the world’s end, we will be forever together,” yeonjun heard his own voice echoing around them, making a final promise to the others.

_Tock._

And then he couldnt see anything anymore. 

He came back to his senses with a loud audible gasp, the watch still swinging like a pendulum in front of him. He was breathing really hard, sucking in air and tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

“What did i just see?” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

“I showed you your ‘time,’” seokjin replied.

Yeonjun was quiet for a few moments, still breathing heavily. “Who were those people?” he asked the god of time.

“That is what will eventually be. You havent crossed paths with them yet. You may not meet them for years to come. Only time will tell,” he chuckled to the fox spirit.

“I feel…” yeonjun began to say, trying to regain his breath. “I feel...like my heart is breaking.”

Seokjin tilted his head to the side. “Why?” he asked him in curiosity.

“My ‘time’....does it have a happy ending or a sad ending?” yeonjun wondered. He licked his lips in anxiousness.

Seokjin’s eyes softened in kindness at the fox spirit. “Not even i can know your ending. Time listens to no one. Time is like the flow of water, constantly moving, constantly changing. I am only the keeper of Time, not its master.”

Yeonjun listened to that carefully, staring blankly up into the night sky as he remained where he lay in the grass. He came to a decision. “Nevermind then. I dont think i want to know my ending. Why did you show me this anyways?”

Seokjin smirked, “because i have a feeling you are going to be playing a very important role later. We may need your help in the future.”

Yeonjun blinked, shifting his head slightly to look at seokjin in the eyes. “But i’ve always been alone. Where can i meet the others i saw in my visions?”

“In time you will meet them. Do not rush it,” seokjin laughed, disappearing in a blink, as fast as he appeared.

Yeonjun sat there for a few more minutes, the forest around them the only source of noise and his constant reminder that he was still alive in this world. Kim Taehyung began to hum again the melody he was singing when he arrived and yeonjun was still a small fox animal.

“That’s such a sad song you are singing,” yeonjun commented.

Taehyung flicked his eyes down to yeonjun, a slow smile creeping on his lips.

“Really? Some people think its rather upbeat and catchy.”

Yeonjun shook his head slightly against the grass. “It sounds really sad to me.” And then he slowly sat up, rubbing his face. He had a splitting headache.

Taehyung stopped singing and bent down slightly to make better eye contact with yeonjun. “Now go, live out your life to the fullest little fox spirit, and do what you were meant to do,” taehyung smiled, reaching over to ruffle yeonjun’s blue hair affectionately.

“The others...What if they dont like me?” yeonjun whispered, afraid to be hated. He has to be perfect in everything.

Taehyung laughed, the sound instantly making more flowers and plants around them grow. “they wont hate you. In fact, one of them might even become your master. But dont tell seokjinnie hyung i told you that,” he winked.

Yeonjun’s face twisted at that. Fox spirits are known to have no master. They answer to no one. He answers to no one.

“I doubt that,” he says in an obnoxious tone, his stubborn side starting to take root.

The god of nature and magic laughed again. “Try to resist all you want, but fox spirits still need energy to survive like a plant needs water to live. Only a master of your choosing can supply an infinite amount of energy for you. It’s going to happen to you without you even realizing it.”

Yeonjun continued to stare at kim taehyung, not bothering to argue, but still stubborn to not admit to it.

Taehyung stood up and began to walk back the way he came, often enjoying his time among his plants and animals. He started singing again as he waved one last time to yeonjun, and then he disappeared into the forest for good.

Yeonjun sat there in silence, the soft melody the God of Nature and Magic was singing still lingering in the wind like a whisper. He looked around him, taking note of his surroundings with more clarity. Fireflies took shape, hovering all around him. Exotic plants and flowers of all kinds grew remarkably fast, and they continued to grow and wind themselves all around this isolated forest. The grass became softer, the trees became greener. The moon shone down on it all with a softhearted glow. Yeonjun looked up to the sky, admiring the stars. He even thought he saw two comets shoot across the night.

It was just him in this place. He was the only person here to admire such beauty before him.

The magic flowed heavily all around him, almost like it was his own little secret magic island. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone was wondering, the song taehyung was humming was actually "Run Away" by TXT
> 
> It's such a sad song...


	2. Familiar

_It is not your enemies that defeat you._

_It is your fear._

************************************

“It really just amazes me how they come up to you with absolutely no fear at all,” younghoon smiled in awe at soobin. He couldn’t take his eyes away from the other vampire as he fed the little animals that were currently surrounding him. 

Soobin hummed in acknowledgement, his mind completely focused on the task at hand. He made soft clicking noises with his tongue, holding out his palm for the animals to come closer. An assortment of berries, nuts, and seeds lay at his side, ready to go. He watched and waited with endless patience in the grass as the animals assessed the situation for any danger. 

The bravest of the small forest animals finally took a step toward soobin, trusting him more and more as the seconds ticked by. 

Younghoon unfortunately had to stand some feet away from soobin in order to watch this occur. The animals always hated vampires, sensing the danger they were in, the prey they would soon become for the obvious predators. Younghoon has had to come to peace with the fact that the animals and smaller more fragile creatures would never come near him, will never be his friend, no matter how hard he may try. 

However, it still shocks him each time they approach soobin with no hesitance. 

Soobin was the only one of their vampire clan that was granted such loyalty from those beneath them. At first, younghoon thought it might have been because he is the heir to the clan’s leader. Maybe there was something special about soobin’s family’s bloodline that made them all special compared to younghoon and the others? But after spending much time with soobin over the years, younghoon scratched that idea out. From what he can tell, there was nothing particularly extraordinary about them besides the fact that soobin’s family have ruled their clan for hundreds of years. 

Soobin comes from a long line of vampires, one of the original bloodlines since the beginning of their creation. He was of pureblood, and his family tries to keep it that way. The other members in their clan have all been mixed at some point, other creatures of the night blending with their genes. However, the vampire’s DNA is strong, so it was never a problem if you have some random blood from another creature branched out somewhere in the long line of lineage dating back years and years. 

No, it wasn’t the fact that soobin is a pureblood and heir to their strong clan. There was something else about him that persuaded the other animals and weak minded creatures to trust him. Younghoon still cant quite figure it out. Soobin was an oddity to him, something that was mysterious but also fascinating. 

He watched silently as soobin giggled, a few birds landing in his comforting palm to eat seeds and peck playfully at his fingers. A squirrel ran up the length of his arm and literally rubbed itself against soobin’s cheek, seeking comfort from the vampire. A baby deer and its mother circled around him, nudging him with their noses and giving him small licks of encouragement. Soobin finally gave them the attention they craved, reaching with his other hand to scratch at the mother’s throat. The deer urged soobin to get closer, angling her neck for better access. 

Younghoon had to look away, his red eyes showing disgust he didnt want soobin to see in case he looked over to him. This is where his stomach turns, despite it being soobin whom he has been friends with for many years.

How could these pitiful animals just so willingly offer themselves up for soobin like food stacked high on a silver platter? Dont they have any decent respect, self worth? And what about soobin? How could he possibly live like this? 

Yes, soobin isnt quite like the other bloodthirsty members of his clan, including his own family and younghoon. He chooses to never take what he so obviously deserves. He chooses to never kill for blood. 

Here is where it gets tricky. As a vampire, the craving for blood is like second nature to them. Once they sink their fangs into another person, regardless of race, it is near impossible to stop drinking until their meal is all dried up. All of the vampires in this world have no remorse for taking what they believe to be essential to their way of life. All of the vampires except soobin. He was the only one that younghoon knows of who outright and publicly refuses to drink another person’s blood. Not even a single drop. 

And here’s where it gets even more disturbing. He drinks from animals! And only if they willingly allow him to! And he doesnt even kill them! How ridiculous and embarrassing that is! 

What disturbed younghoon even more were soobin’s eyes. They weren’t red like his and everyone else’s. The irises gleamed with a penetrating violet, more radiant and striking than any jewel of a similar color. They made him uneasy to look at for too long. 

The violet color comes with the fact that soobin never forces his vampiric nature onto his victims (sorry, _friends_ ) when he feeds. Its a mutual consent, like a contract. He is allowed to drink from them, as long as he promises never to kill them. 

To some, soobin is considered weak, a traitor, not fit to lead them when his father steps down one day. Younghoon likes to believe that soobin isnt as oblivious as he looks. Soobin can see the doubt in some of the clan’s eyes, he can hear the whispers said about him. He isnt an idiot. 

Sometimes...younghoon might think he agrees with them. Dont get him wrong, he respects and loves soobin to an extent like a friend does, but maybe soobin is _too_ kind hearted and gentle to lead them. He doesnt embrace their way of life like he should, and he’s always standing out and being different. 

Younghoon swallowed down the bile in his throat as soobin finished drinking the blood of the animal. He was very quick and gentle about it. He made no mess and no fuss, just a quick peck at their neck and then a few sips later he closed the wound, allowing them to freely run around afterwards. Soobin laughed softly as the deer and her offspring tackled him playfully, licking his face. He fed all of the other animals everything he had with him. He didnt want them feeling light headed or vulnerable after he took from them. He was always fair; he gets to eat and so do they.

Soobin sat there in content as the animals slowly started to disperse and go back home. The breeze softly ruffled his hair, and there was a small smile on his face from the love he received. He looked so peaceful. Younghoon watched a little longer, and then finally he stepped forward from the shadows within the forest. Immediately, the remainder of soobin’s company fled, recognizing the threat that younghoon was born to be. 

“Come sit with me,” soobin said, breaking the silence around them. He glanced up at yonghoon with warm (but still violet) eyes. Younghoon glanced away before soobin could read anything into his expression. Soobin’s violet eyes were more vibrant now that he ate, and honestly younghoon still cant stomach it despite seeing him feed in this way a handful of times. 

“You must still be hungry,” younghoon chose to say, sitting lightly on the grass next to soobin. Soobin’s head was facing up towards the sky, a reddish and golden glow painting streaks through the clouds and making his skin look warm and flushed. Perhaps it was from feeding moments before. 

Soobin hummed, not confirming nor denying younghoon’s statement. It kind of annoyed younghoon how nonchalant soobin was towards all of this. It secretly frustrated him how the other vampire could care less what people thought of him as he chose to eat this way. 

“How do you ignore the impossible hunger? I just dont get it. Why do you practically starve yourself when there is plenty of food back at the castle?” younghoon pressed soobin for answers. He also didnt miss the way soobin flinched when younghoon referred to those people as ‘food.’ Yes, it was common for the clan to feed every two weeks, gathering creatures of all races and taking what they needed to live, sucking them all dry until not one drop of blood remained. 

Soobin was never around when this occurred. 

“I dont see the point in being so unfair to the other races. Why is it so strange for me to live peacefully with the other creatures? I didnt ask to be born this way, i just am,” soobin replied, his voice indicating that there was no further discussion needed about this topic. That was the closest younghoon was going to get in arguing with soobin. 

“Ok, fine,” younghoon sighed. “But how do you get the animals to trust you so completely? What’s your secret? Maybe if you shared your tricks, others will want to live more like you.” there, that was a reasonable question to ask, wasnt it? 

Soobin turned his head away from the sky that looked like it was on fire from the setting sun, and gave younghoon a confused look. “What do you mean? I dont _trick_ the animals into doing anything they wouldnt want to do. There is no secret.”

Younghoon was losing his patience, and he had to reign in that urge to establish dominance; it was a part of their very natures as vampires to want to always crush those that are weaker than them. Soobin seems so fragile and meek, the perfect target to bring out the more violent side of his fellow clan members. 

“You honestly think the animals simply... _love_ you? Trust you to be near them? Want you to pet them and play with them? You, a _vampire_?” younghoon’s voice was skeptical and raised slightly in octave. 

Soobin tilted his head curiously like a baby chick, his black bangs falling into his eyes and covering some of the violet in them. Younghoon wanted to sigh in relief at that, as stupid as it may seem. 

“Yes? Why is that so hard to believe? They know i mean them no harm. They know i would never betray their trust and kill them. I _like_ being with them, it makes me happy to have this small escape away from my parents and the rest of the clan’s expectations of me. You know that,” soobin said, like this was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Younghoon nodded his head curtly, dropping the subject. Soobin was always different from them, and nothing can change that. It was hard to believe he was one of the most pureblooded vampires around, and yet doesnt have a single ounce of what makes him a natural born predator. 

Soobin breathed in a huge lungful of the fresh air, and then stood up. Dusk was falling upon them, and it was time to return home. He's been away long enough. 

With a polite smile, soobin held out his hand for younghoon to take. “Come on hyung, its time to go. I'm sure my parents are in an outrage over my absence.” 

Younghoon gripped his hand and hoisted himself up effortlessly. He stared at soobin who was smiling, his face looking friendly enough, but the smile didnt quite seem to reach his eyes that much. 

As heir to their clan, soobin will have to be mated soon. Younghoon knows soobin has been sidestepping his parents for years now, dodging the question and expertly disappearing whenever his parents tried to bring someone in that was a worthy candidate to mate. It was quite impressive that soobin managed to avoid this for so long. But even soobin knows his time is dwindling with that. 

They walked back to the clan's castle in companionable silence. Younghoon side glanced at soobin a few times, trying to figure out something that he just didnt quite get. He thought he was being discreet, but soobin was much sharper than people gave him credit for. 

“Go ahead and ask me what’s on your mind hyung. Im curious what you are thinking,” soobin chuckled lightly. He was always curious. The most outrageous things always fascinated soobin, and younghoon has had to just accept that as another part of his strange personality. 

Younghoon sighed, deciding to be honest. It was pointless lying to soobin. Soobin was always able to tell if someone was lying to him. 

Sometimes that scared younghoon: just how much soobin was able to really see. 

“I was just wondering, what kind of person are you looking for in a mate? What draws your attention? You have denied countless people over the years, surely one of them had at least _one_ thing you liked about them?” younghoon was blunt, and normally he wouldnt dare talk to anyone as worshipped as soobin’s family is like this. But soobin appreciates honesty above all else, and so younghoon was granted permission to speak his mind, no matter what it was about. 

Soobin laughed. “Is that all you were wondering? There isnt _anything_ else you would like to know?” 

The question was innocent enough, but it made younghoon’s pulse slightly race with an inkling of fear. Soobin was way too perceptive for his own good, he was correct in assuming that wasnt all younghoon was wondering about. So younghoon voiced his other questions as well. 

“Ok, no that’s not all. I just wanted to know what you saw in a mate because well….it seems to me that there is literally nobody out there that could ever love you as much as you expect them to.” Even younghoon wanted to flinch at his own words. That was a bit cruel, but he was being honest. 

Soobin’s face turned into one of longing as he looked ahead of them while they walked. “I dont ask for much in a mate. I just want someone who will care for me and love me as much as i will care for and love them. I want someone i can trust with my whole life, and in return they trust me. Is that so wrong? Everyone who has sought me out wants something from me, whether it be status or wealth. And im sorry, but i cant live like that.” He rubbed his hands together and looked at them as the sky darkened around them. “And i know what everyone thinks of me,” he mumbled, but not quiet enough for younghoon to mishear. 

“I hate to be so depressing, but you are never going to find that soobin. Its just wishful thinking. Our kind dont mate for love, we mate for convenience; we mate so that we dont have to spend the rest of our immortal existences alone. That's pretty much all we can hope for. Plus people fall in and out of love all of the time. I doubt there could ever be someone who could love another so unconditionally, so selflessly until the end of our existences. That's just not possible,” younghoon shook his head. “I dont want to have to tell you this, but its time for you to get your head out of your ass and start being smart with who you choose to mate and spend forever with.” 

Soobin frowned at his words. “You dont think someone could ever love me?” he whispered. 

“No, i dont think so. That’s just not possible for us, for our kind. We are too selfish,” younghoon whispered back. 

“I refuse to believe your words,” soobin breathed out quietly with a hint of stubbornness. 

“Believe what you may,” younghoon answered him, giving up with this conversation. The corners of his mouth frowned as he watched soobin in his peripheral vision. Nobody will follow soobin if he continues to be this way. 

***

Soobin walked into his father’s chambers, the huge mahogany desk travelling across the width of the room. His father was pouring over books and ancient maps, obsessed with his work as usual. 

Soobin bowed his head slightly at his father, acknowledging him with respect. “Father, i was told you wanted to see me?” 

Of course his father wanted to see him. Soobin restrained from rolling his eyes, he knew where this conversation was going to take him. He’s been engaged in the battle of wills with his father for years now. It spanned from wanting soobin to become more involved in the family activities, to him drinking blood like a normal vampire, to picking a mate. They went round and round continuously. 

Soobin’s sharp gaze lingered a little longer on the key that was wrapped around his father’s neck, hanging from a delicate chain. He chose to be careful whenever his father had the key to the void on his person and out in the open. 

His father finally looked up from his obsession and frowned in disapproval at soobin. “Soobin, show your manners. Greet the great shaman with respect that is due to him,” he chastised soobin. 

Soobin tensed at the mention of the entity that lingered like a toxin within the corner of his father’s study. His eyes reluctantly slid over to the robed and hooded figure, and he forced a polite smile to linger on his lips. He bowed deeply to the shaman. With his head still bent he addressed the figure with respect. “Of course. Its a pleasure to be in your presence, your excellency. I trust you are doing well on this peaceful night.” 

Soobin stood back up and flashed another smile that was so obviously fake to anyone who truly knew him. 

Luckily his father didnt know him as well as he liked to believe. 

“Ah yes, soobin, our young heir. Im doing well, thank you,” the shaman’s gentle voice travelled over and screeched into soobin’s ears like nails on a chalkboard. His hood fell back to reveal his handsome but wicked face.

The Great Shaman, Lee Taemin. He was his father’s most trusted advisor, the only one who had any authority over the clan aside from his own family. He showed up on their doorstep like a ghost in the night, claiming to hold the secrets of the world. 

Soobin’s father was power hungry, and it didnt take much for taemin to worm his way into the hearts of his parents as well as his people. Taemin wasn’t exactly a mage, and his powers as a shaman still confuse soobin. However, there was no doubt that he was quite skilled in his practice. With taemin’s help, his clan was promised power beyond imaginable, allowing soobin’s father to live vicariously without worrying about the Elders and other creatures of the day coming for retribution against them. 

But there is one thing that soobin’s people have seemed to forget or blatantly ignore: nothing comes without a price. 

Lee Taemin has done much for soobin’s vampire clan over the years. He has protected them from the outside world, shielding their lands with his talismans and other shaman voodoo. He has helped lure people of all races past their gates and into their castle so that the vampires could feed. With his magic, nobody will ever remember the victims existed, they will never be missed, which helps keep the wolves and elders off their backs. With his great persuasion skills, Taemin has helped soobin’s father draw a treaty with the elders, a ‘truce’ they like to call it. 

And worst of all, Taemin has helped soobin’s father find one of the ancient keys to the gates of the void, and he promises to help him find the others that have been lost throughout time. He even put a magical barrier on the key itself so that his father and anybody else can safely touch it without the ancient magic harming them. 

This is where soobin disagrees deeply in allowing the shaman to remain with their people. Something that powerful and ancient must have been lost for a reason.

Soobin turned away from the shaman and flicked his gaze back down at the key hanging around his father’s neck. 

The Sky Gate key, one of the lost keys to the gates of the void. Soobin has no idea how taemin and his father were able to find it, but that doesnt matter. What matters is that for years they have been plotting and planning to locate the rest of the keys of legend. His father has become obsessed in seeking them out, and will stop at nothing to obtain them. He believes if he can control the void, then he can control the world. It's a silly dream, really, but no amount of talking to his father will deter him from his path. 

Soobin has a bad feeling about this. He has voiced his opinions many times, to no avail. Nothing can be done, and soobin is forced to watch the shaman brainwash everybody he has known. 

Of course, everyone thinks soobin is crazy whenever he speaks. They already barely trust him based on the fact that he refuses to kill for blood. On top of that, he is very gentle in nature and quiet... 

Until provoked. 

Soobin is a vampire after all. He still has those violent urges just like the rest of them, but he is much better at controlling himself than the others. He is constantly fighting an internal battle over his natural born instincts. He is always hungry, always craving fresh blood just like any other vampire, and he does have a bit of a temper if he’s angry enough. He’s just as strong as the rest of his kind, he can run fast, and hear and see extraordinarily well, he doesnt need to breathe for long periods of time if he chooses to do so, and he’s agile and quick witted. Despite these characteristics, soobin wants to believe they dont make up _who_ he is as an individual. He has a choice in what he does, and he chooses to live peacefully. 

He may be gentle, and calm, and kind hearted, but he is _not_ weak at all. 

Soobin braced himself for what his father wanted to speak to him about. 

His father finally opened his mouth, a look of smugness on his face that sent a shiver of uneasiness down soobin’s spine. 

“Taemin has had a prediction. The spirits have told him that the Elders now know that we have in our possession the key to the Sky Gate. it is only a matter of days or even weeks before they make their first move to take the key from us. Pretty soon the wolves will be coming,” his father said nonchalantly, like it's a common occurrence that their entire castle and lands will be flooded with werewolves to hunt and kill them. 

Soobin was alert at this news. He prefers not to involve himself with violence, but if his home and family are in danger then he has no problems tapping into his true vampiric nature and eliminating the threat. He was territorial just like the rest of them.

“Well what are we waiting for? We need to prepare for battle,” soobin said, adrenaline now coursing through his veins and demanding he move. 

His father waved a hand in dismissal. “We dont need to worry about the elders and their pitiful army of werewolves. After all, taemin has sworn to guard our lands with his talismans and other herbs or whatever. They wont even be able to step foot over the borders without dying.”

Soobin swung his gaze back to taemin, his sharp violet eyes narrowing in suspicion at the way taemin smiled back at him. “Did he now? Well that's excellent news,” he gritted out between his front teeth. “I suppose there’s nothing to do since our great shaman and protector has everything under control.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. 

“No need to worry! I will be sure not a single hair on your beautiful immortal heads will be touched,” taemin said in a smooth and chilling voice. He continued to smile, and his silver hair gleamed in the candle light from his father’s desk. 

Soobin has had enough of this conversation. He turned on his heel and excused himself from his father’s study. He needed to get away from the shaman, he needed to get away from his father’s stupidity, and he especially needed to distance himself from that damn key. It gave him a headache and he hated being around it. It still puzzles him how his father can come in contact with it all the time and not feel even a little bit bothered by it. 

The large oak door slammed shut behind soobin as he made his way back to his room. He sighed, rubbing his face in exhaustion. Despite feeding earlier from the animals that willingly gave him permission, he was still starving and light headed from lack of nourishment. Soobin hates to admit it, but he has a _huge_ appetite. He doesnt think he will ever be sated enough as long as he chooses to live this way. 

Maybe his father was right? Finding a vampire mate will help stave off the hunger even just a little bit. He could feed from his mate and vice versa, taking strength from each other. He could have been at his full potential if he wasnt so hesitant and stubborn about mating. It would be smart to pick a mate soon before the wolves come. 

As soon as the thought entered his head, he disregarded it. 

He walked into his room and closed the door shut tight. He doesnt want to see anybody at all tonight. Looking out of his window at the full moon, he knew he would never forgive himself if he mated out of convenience, no matter how hungry he may be. 

***

“Im telling you younghoon! We need to ready ourselves for an attack any day. The wolves are not to be underestimated,” soobin argued, pacing his room. There has been a clawing anxiety deep in his gut over the prospect of his home being invaded. 

Younghoon looked at soobin from the seat he was sitting in. There was doubt and a bit of concern in his eyes over the way soobin was acting. He has never seen the vampire so hell-bent on violence before. 

Then again, their clan has never been invaded to this extent. Not for a long time, and they can thank the Great Shaman for that. 

“Soobin, i dont know why you are so afraid of the wolves and elders. We have been protected by the great shaman for many many years now and nothing has happened to us. We continue to grow in power daily, we are unstoppable now that we are in possession of one of the keys to the void. I think you are overreacting a bit,” younghoon tried to placate his friend. 

To be honest, he was irritated with the way soobin was acting. soobin was becoming paranoid, and honestly that is not a quality fit for someone who is meant to rule them. He believes anyone else could do a better job if soobin wasn’t heir to the clan’s leader, even maybe himself. 

Younghoon will never voice these dark thoughts, though. He will keep them locked forever in his heart. 

Soobin whirled on younghoon with crazed violet eyes. Younghoon mentally braced himself with the direct eye contact he was forced to give. He still is uneasy with the purple gleam to soobin’s irises, no matter how many years he has had to look at them. 

“Afraid?! I am not afraid! What is so wrong in worrying about the well-being of our clan? We cant just sit back and let a stupid shaman do all the work for us. We cant let our guard down! Why cant you guys see that? Why do i have to fight with everyone over everything?” soobin exhaled in frustration, running a hand through his black hair. 

Now younghoon was getting annoyed. He stood up to face soobin directly with a glare. “He isnt stupid, soobin. Shaman Taemin has sworn loyalty to your father, and soon he will swear loyalty to you. Why cant you be a little more respectful towards him? We owe our lives to him, he makes our days peaceful and easy. He’s the reason you get to happily frolic with the forest animals and live without a care in the world, selfishly ignoring your duties to our people.” 

“Ignoring-” soobin spluttered. “I am not ignoring my duties! Just because i disagree with some of the things we do around here doesnt mean i dont care about the well-being of our people. And for the record, i dont frolic with the forest animals, they are my friends and they willingly help feed me-”

Younghoon was on soobin in a second, slamming him to the wall with his forearm pinning him by the neck. His eyes were a raging red, and his lips were pulled back in a snarl. Soobin stared at him wide-eyed, unsure of what just happened. 

“ _Dont_ speak to me about your choice in food,” younghoon hissed. “Its repulsive and quite frankly im sick of you.” 

Soobin furrowed his eyes in confusion, his own anger rising to the surface slowly. “Get your hands off me,” he snarled back, still trying to maintain his calm. Younghoon made no indication he was going to move, so soobin pried his arm away and pushed him back a little. 

“What the _hell_ is wrong with you?” he asked, rubbing his collarbone a bit and glaring at younghoon. 

“Soobin, i think its best if we dont talk to each other ever again,” younghoon said before turning away and walking out of his room. 

Soobin didnt even blink when the door to his room slammed shut. 

Deep down he guesses he saw this coming. Soobin had sharp eyes and a talent for reading people pretty well. 

He also supposed this is partially his fault for provoking younghoon's anger.

He sighed, rubbing his face with exhaustion for about the hundredth time. Its been a few weeks since he last fed in the forest, and he could feel himself weakening. He shouldnt have lost his temper with younghoon like that. He shouldn’t have let his emotions get the best of him. 

He shouldnt have let younghoon see that side of him. 

That side he wants to seal away and hide deep within his heart for nobody to touch or take a glimpse at.

He doesn’t want anyone to see how afraid he is of himself, of the endless loneliness he feels making him numb as if shards of ice are creeping in around the edges, of the paranoia he harbors for the void, and especially of the animalistic urges he wants so desperately to let out. 

So soobin carefully and cautiously shoved these parts of himself that he hates so much deep down inside, he locked it away and hid it so that even he will believe it's gone forever. 

Maybe if he lies and tells himself he will be alright, that he was going to be okay, then it will one day come true. 

***

Soobin shot up from bed and gasped awake from his sleep, a cold sweat dampening his bangs on his forehead and his clothes. 

Something was terribly wrong, he could feel it. Something was telling him to get up and get out of there, almost as if he dreamed it. He could almost swear someone visited him in his sleep and warned him of something, but his mind was still a bit muddled and hazy to remember it clearly.

The castle was quiet and the moon was gone. It was a night of a new moon, bathing everything in a blanket of darkness. 

Heeding these warnings, he quickly changed into something that will help him blend into the night: a black long sleeve shirt and dark pants and boots. He needs to move fast, he needs to find out what was happening. 

He needs to find the source of his fear that was slithering up his spine and taking root in his mind. 

His first instinct was to check on his father. So he turned down the dark corridor and ran at full speed, standing in front of his father’s study within a few seconds. He didnt hesitate to slam the door open, his eyes wide at what he saw.

He made it just in time to see the great shaman, taemin, pull his bare hand out from his father’s chest, the heart still beating in his palm. His father’s body slumped to the ground with a loud thud. 

Taemin turned to soobin with a gentle smile, and watched with enjoyment as he crushed the heart in his hand, splattering blood all over the room and walls, a little bit speckling soobin’s face and front of his shirt. 

Soobin was frozen in place, the horror of this scene forever burned into his memories. 

“Just in time soobin! The party is about to start. You have always been too smart for your own good. Honestly, your instincts are admirable and a bit too spot on, im almost jealous,” taemin laughed sweetly. 

Without a care, the shaman slowly bent down over his father’s broken body and reached around his neck. He pulled on the key to the void, snapping the chain and holding it up to inspect. 

“Ill be taking this for myself,” he smiled. A soft glow burned around the key, and then that’s when all hell broke loose. 

The ancient magic soobin was right to be wary of has finally been let loose throughout his home and lands.

Soobin could hear fighting outside and the howls of wolves in the distance. He finally blinked and snapped out of his terror. 

“How did the wolves find us?” he wondered out loud. Then his eyes narrowed on taemin’s face. “ _You._ you did this didnt you? You betrayed my father and our clan and told the elders and wolves where we live!” 

Taemin rolled his eyes. “Well, yeah. Ive been waiting years to have the keys to the void for myself. Unfortunately, its taking too long. I thought for sure your father and his people would have found at least a few more of them, but sadly we only have the key to the Sky Gate.” taemin then shrugged as he placed the key safely in his pocket. “I got tired of waiting, so i told the elders that _you,_ Choi Soobin, have the key. Now you are branded a traitor and the wolves are coming to annihilate your entire pitiful clan.” then he chuckled softly, his eyes forming crescents and his teeth showing in a wide grin. “If your own people dont destroy each other first, that is.” 

Soobin always knew taemin was trouble. He warned them over and over, but nobody would listen. He was right all long to be cautious of this strange shaman.

He really wishes he wasn’t right. 

Soobin’s pulse was racing, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He doesnt know what to do, he doesnt know where to go. He has no one to turn to, and he is just now realizing he is honestly truly very much alone. 

Swallowing the dry lump in his throat, he decided to stall. To get as much information as he can out of the shaman. 

“What makes you think the elders will be able to find the rest of the keys when my own father couldnt? What makes them so special to betray us for?” those were vital questions. 

Taemin stepped over his father’s dead body like it was garbage and looked soobin in the eyes. Soobin refused to lose eye contact, glaring at the shaman in false bravery. “Its very simple, they promised me they will be able to find the keys with their magic. They have had their eyes on a certain mage apprentice for years now. Apparently, he has a very rare magic, nobody else has ever been heard to have this type of magic before.”

“And what type of magic is that?” soobin asked stubbornly. 

“This mage can _find_ things: lost objects, people, places, you name it. He will surely be able to find the rest of the keys to the gates of the void. And once this little mage finds all the keys for them, i will simply dispose of him and the elders, just like i did to your own father. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Soobin’s body went cold, immediately recognizing where this was going. The elders were just as horrible as the shaman and his own father: using others, even the innocent, to get what they want. He honestly felt sorry for this mage that the elders were now going to take advantage of. 

Taemin’s facial expression immediately turned dark and twisted, showing his true colors finally. “The madness will creep into the hearts of anyone who gets in my way, and it will destroy this world from the inside out.” 

Soobin finally snapped into action, acting fast. He lunged for taemin, determined to get the key and run with it. To where, he had no clue. But there was no way he was going to let taemin get away with destroying his home and then the rest of the world. There was no way he was going to let the void be unleashed onto their lands. He has always feared what the void could do.

He feared the void because the void could take away anything he held precious to him. 

Taemin merely side stepped him, easily dodging despite soobin being faster and stronger. Soobin spun and glared at him, trying again, but then was immediately frozen in place. He couldnt move a single muscle and he was confused. He glanced down at his feet, noticing one of taemin’s paper talismans peeking out from under his boot and more lining the floors and walls. 

Taemin walked out the door into the hallway, immediately calling for whoever was around. 

“Help! Is anyone there?” he yelled, smirking at soobin when he heard more shouts and people running right for him. 

Soobin tried to break the binding, using all the force he could. His mind and body were strong, but it still wasnt quite enough to free himself. If at most he was moved maybe a fraction of an inch. 

Now he was really starting to panic. 

Taemin turned to the first of the vampires that arrived on the scene. “Choi soobin is just in there. He killed his father and took the key, and then tried to kill me when i saw what happened. I just barely managed to freeze him with one of my spells, but it wont hold for long. He’s gone completely crazy. I think the madness took over his mind!” taemin sounded really convincing, and soobin has no doubt that anyone would believe it. Especially now that the magic from the void’s key is being unleashed all over the place causing madness and chaos. 

Taemin sounded sad, playing his role perfectly. “Im almost sorry for the poor boy. He’s been so weak and fragile, its no wonder he wanted the power of the void for himself. With it he would be able to rule over all of you with an iron fist, and nobody would be able to stop him.” 

Soobin watched as the vampire taemin was talking to finally entered the room. 

His eyes widened when he recognized younghoon. His friend’s eyes were vibrant red, and a bit unfocused. He was pale and crazed looking. Anger and disgust coated his features.

“I should have known,” younghoon whispered as he walked closer to soobin’s frozen body. “Even you yourself knew how unfit of a leader you would be, how much we all despised you and dreaded the day you would take over for your father,” he spat with a harsh hiss. 

“I personally think you would have been much better suited as this clan’s leader, younghoon,” taemin spoke from behind the vampire. “Its a shame soobin destroyed that for you. He even turned his own people in to the elders and wolves.” taemin tsked, adding fuel to the fire.

That seemed to set younghoon off with more anger. Soobin understands that younghoon was under the influence of the madness, but the madness only brings out the worst in people, what they truly think and feel. There has to be darkness there to begin with in order to let it consume you. 

So yes, younghoon is driven with madness, but he also is not lying. Somehow that hurts more than soobin cares to admit, even if he saw this coming for a while now. 

Younghoon stepped up to soobin, inches from his face and his lips curled up in a snarl just like the last time they were together. 

“I despise you,” he whispered hoarsely to soobin. “You have everything i always wanted, and you just threw it all away with your own selfishness.” 

Soobin could sense what was going to happen next, and he tried even harder to break taemin’s spell. He used everything he could to move his body, and he succeeded a little bit. But it still wasnt enough. 

Younghoon shot a hand out, curling it around soobin’s throat in a crushing grip. Soobin was completely defenseless, forced to let himself get choked by his own friend. 

“Ill end it, right here, right now. I will be the savior of our clan, destroying the traitor. Then i will build us back up and make us strong again under my leadership. How does that sound?” 

Soobin would have been insulted by that, if his focus wasnt elsewhere at that moment. His eyes widened in fear, focusing just behind younghoon’s shoulder. He tried to shake his head, he tried to warn him. He desperately tried to free himself from younghoon’s hold, only succeeding in touching his friend’s arm with a brush of his fingertips. 

“What is it? Got nothing to say-”

And for a second time that night, soobin was forced to watch another person he knows die right in front of him. Just like his father, younghoon’s heart was ripped right out of his chest and soon blood coated all of the surrounding walls as well as soobin. 

Soobin went down with his friend, hitting the ground hard. His eyes were still wide open, unable to look away from younghoon’s lifeless eyes within inches from him. 

Soobin fell sideways onto the wooden floor, the side of his head thunking harshly against the floorboards. He couldnt move anymore, even if he wanted to. 

_At what point do you consider your breaking point? Where do you draw the line?_

Taemin smiled again at soobin, but soobin wasnt even looking at him anymore. He simply...didnt care. 

“Aww you poor poor vampire. It must be a shock to you. Tell me, how does it feel to have your world crashing down on you within a matter of minutes?” he cooed to soobin in a patronizing tone. 

When he didnt get much of a reaction out of soobin, he tsked in disappointment. 

“Well, as fun as this is, i think its time for me to go. Ill just leave you here for your fellow mad vampires to handle. If the wolves dont get to you first,” he laughed light heartedly. 

Soobin barely registered the sound of taemin’s footsteps leaving the room. He stared out the window, motionless and unfeeling. He tried to keep himself together. If he let himself break right now, he doesnt think he will be able to piece himself back again. 

He knows there was no point in trying to run. There was nowhere to hide, no one to trust or turn to for help. 

For some reason, this realization hurt more than the fact that his father and friend died right in front of his own two eyes. 

The night continued to burn black, and soobin’s vision turned blurry and glassy. 

He wanted to cry, but couldnt find it in himself to shed a tear at this moment. He just wishes this was all a nightmare that he could wake up from. 

And soobin laid there for what felt like an eternity, not even noticing the gentle darkness that started to cradle him like a blanket and turn the world into a midnight black.

The God of Monsters approached him, staring down at him with a frown and sympathy on his face. He was wearing robes of the same midnight black that surrounded them, decorated with the very rocks of the demon realm located deep within the void. His hair was also sleek and black, contrasting with his eyes of crimson.

"I’m sorry,” Jeon Jungkook whispered. “We didnt think it would turn out like this. Not even Jin hyung could have predicted the madness the void would create for the races of the mortal realm.” 

Jungkook looked down at soobin with sorrow in his red colored irises. “You need to get up and retrieve the keys," jungkook told him, trying to snap soobin out of his shock. “The madness you saw just now will only grow worse if they continue to find the keys to the void. This entire world will perish.” 

Soobin has had enough. His breaking point was finally reached.

He frantically sat up and crawled to jungkook, then he gripped jungkooks beautiful black robes, looking the god in the eyes. Gentle tears finally broke through and started to fall down his cheek. "Please, please you have to help me. I don't want to live like this anymore, I don't want to live in this world all alone anymore. Please, don't make me," he hiccupped, sniffling and crying, crumpling jungkook’s robes in his fists and begging. 

He finally truly lost his mind at the thought of living eternally by himself, forever alone. His one deep and greatest fear he kept so carefully hidden from the world.

Jungkook crouched down to face soobin, not minding that his robes were being ruined. "Dont talk like that. Please dont ever wish for something as severe as that, trust me. Trust me when i say that you can never take back what has already been done. I can help you. I can help you do what you need to do, but it's probably not something you are going to like. Do you still want me to interfere?" 

Soobin nodded almost robotically, agreeing without knowing what he was agreeing to. 

Jungkook closed his eyes briefly, but then opened them back up. "Very well." He reached over and held his hand over soobins eyes, forcing them shut. 

"What are you doing?" Soobin asked, his voice frail and unsure. 

"You continue to let your insecurities and doubts get in your way. You let them cripple you. If you can't overcome this, then there is no point in you living,” his voice penetrated soobin’s mind in a painful way. 

"Wait- stop!!" Soobin yelled, his mind being flooded with something that caused his heart to panic, to beat erratically with anxiety and a certain darkness that was lying dormant within him to finally come out of its shell. 

Jungkook ignored him, instead asking a very important question. "What are you so afraid of?"

Those words seemed to echo deep inside soobin, beginning to carve an imprint on his heart that will follow him for years to come. 

"I'm not afraid! I'm not, I swear. Please don’t-!" Soobin had no idea what he was begging for, all he knows is that he wants it to _stop._ He wants everything to just end: his pain, his sorrow, his loneliness; all of it. He gripped jungkook’s hand, trying to pry it away from his eyes, of course to no avail. A lowly vampire was no match to a god’s strength.

"You're lying," jungkook said, making soobin momentarily freeze in his struggles to free himself from the nightmares he is being forced to live through. Out of everything he has ever heard, everything he has witnessed, those are the words he hates the most. Those words that will burn into his mind and cause him to pause. "We all lie, and you are no different. If you can't overcome your own lies, your own fears, then you are just as weak and selfish and pathetic as the people who killed and destroyed your home."

"No, I'm not lying," Soobin whispered, but even he did not believe his own words. He clawed half heartedly at jungkook’s hand one last time before giving up helplessly. 

"If you can't admit your own fears, your own lies, to yourself then you will be cursed to take the fears of everyone else. From now on, whenever someone looks into your eyes, they will see the horrors that they hold deep within their hearts. You will be a walking nightmare, a monster plaguing the land. Unless they face their fears, they will never survive your presence.”

Soobins grip slipped slowly from jungkook’s arm, defeat in his stature. "Why? Why would you do that to me?" he whispered. 

"You want to right the wrongs done to you? You want the strength to continue to live on? Then face the fears of the world. Face them and _conquer_ them. Become a monster that takes away the terrors of those that have been hurt just like you right now. And then maybe, just maybe, you will become a safe place for those who desperately need it." 

Soobin slumped to the ground, sniffling. Jungkook gently took his hand from soobin’s eyes, and smiled at the vampire softly. 

"Always remember this fear you feel in your heart. Always remember how crippling and debilitating it is. Fear is the one thing that keeps us from being indestructible. Without it, we lose ourselves. Take this fear, and wield it like a weapon. Crush your enemies with it, slay them without remorse. Use it to destroy anything that dares to harm you and those you love. But...also use it to comfort others. To save them. To prevent them from ever feeling the way you feel right now. That is my gift to you." 

Jungkook stood up, watching soobin for another minute with his red eyes. It all depended on soobin now. How he decides to use this gift is completely up to him. 

Jungkook looked to the sky through the window, taking a deep breath. 

It wasn't going to be easy. 

Soobin is going to experience so much pain. 

Soobin didnt dare to move, staring at the wooden floorboards as the world went back to the way it was.

***

Soobin sat there, his body feeling like ice and his limbs feeling like they weighed a ton. His eyes glowed violet-black now, but he was unaware of it at the moment. 

The rest of his clan were coming. His hearing could pick up on the hurried footsteps not far from where he sat in the smears of blood. 

They all betrayed each other. They gave in to the madness and let it consume their hearts to the point of no return. 

Soon soobin was surrounded, his fellow people getting ready to slaughter the last remaining member of the greatest vampire clan the world has seen. He was the heir...he was supposed to one day lead these people who will now kill him within seconds, mutilate his body, and then turn on each other until no one remained. 

One of the vampires reached out, gripping soobin’s neck and dragging him up from where he sat. Soobin continued to look down at the floor. 

Something new swirled in the pit of his stomach, crawling up and around his whole body, taking a hold of his heart. 

Soobin was _tired_ of being afraid. He was _tired_ of getting hurt. It was time someone else was afraid for a change. 

The darkness that soobin locked away so very carefully finally broke free from its cage. 

“Where’s the key?” the vampire hissed at soobin, madness evident in his eyes. 

soobin chuckled softly, and then slowly he looked at the person who was about to kill him.They made eye contact, and immediately the other vampire gasped in horror. His eyes took on a hazy look and he dropped his hold on soobin, suddenly backing away. 

“Why are you so afraid?” he asked the vampire, his deep and soothing voice contradicting the terror it caused the others in the room to see and feel.

***

“What the hell do you mean we cant touch the last remaining vampire?! The elders orders were very clear: destroy every last vampire in this place!” jackson growled out to jaebeom. “Honestly, how hard can it be to take care of one small vampire?” 

“Im telling you, we _cant._ Hes untouchable. He’s some kind of freak. If you stare at him in the eyes, he can kill you in an instant,” jaebeom rumbled back. 

“Then what do you suppose we do?” jackson asked him, blowing out a huff of hot air. 

“Why dont we ask the shaman for some help?” jinyoung said, sending a pointed glare to the hooded figure standing a few feet away. His wolf felt uneasy around the strange man ever since they laid eyes on him. Apparently this was the inside help the elders were getting for years in order to take down the vampire clan. 

The shaman tilted his head to the side in curiosity, his hood not revealing his facial expression. 

“What do you mean, you need my help?” the shaman asked in a soft and lilting voice. It made the wolves’ skin crawl just to hear it, their animal instincts kicking in to fight or flee.

However, they had orders to eliminate all vampires and retrieve the shaman, so that’s what they will do. 

“Just as we said. The final vampire cant be touched, and so we need to somehow get rid of him. What do you suggest we do?” mark asked, growing impatient with this pointless conversation. He didnt want to be in this place anymore. Something made him feel uneasy. 

Taemin thought for a second, and then his lips quirked up into a smile. “Its simple. If we cant destroy him, then we can seal him away instead.”

Jackson shrugged, perfectly fine with that idea. 

***

“Mark, grip his hands and bring him with us,” jackson ordered the other werewolf. 

Soobin was currently sitting on the ground, talismans burned into the grass all around him and keeping him caged. The wolves all crowded around him, noting that the vampire was hanging his head low to the earth, his black bangs covering his face completely. 

“Why do i have to do it?” mark growled out in frustration. 

“Because as your commander, i said so,” jackson argued back with him childishly. 

“Better enjoy the title while it lasts. You wont be my commander for long,” mark seethed, showing his teeth to jackson. 

“And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?” jackson growled out threateningly. 

Mark raised his chin in defiance. “Exactly what i said. You are just mad that woojin is being considered for the position of the next head of hunters, even after he got slapped on the wrist for sparing that vampire you told the elders about.”

“That position will be mine,” jackson snarled. “There’s no way in hell the elders would consider a traitor like him for the position. I saw it with my own two eyes how he watched that vampire in the forest, almost like he was obsessed with him or something.”

“Yeah, but you didnt have any proof, so woojin got away with barely a lecture from the elders,” jinyoung snorted at him. 

Jackson bared his teeth at the other wolf in annoyance while mark reluctantly gripped soobin’s hands behind his back and forced him to his feet. Soobin stood up without a fight. There was only so much he could do while he had the shaman and wolves against him. 

Taemin led the wolves and soobin to a tunnel that traveled deep within the earth. It was dark and damp the farther they went underground, the darkness stretching for what felt like miles. It was the perfect solution to soobin’s newfound gift: nobody knew of this place because it literally didnt exist until taemin created it himself. His talismans covered every inch of the tunnel they were in. 

After several minutes, they all stopped in front of the opening of a dark cavern. 

“Place him in the center of that cavern,” taemin ordered. 

Mark growled at the tone of voice from the shaman, but followed his command. He dragged soobin to the middle of the cavern and made him kneel in the dirt on his knees. Then Soobin sat on the backs of his legs, his face still towards the earth and his hands still held tightly behind his back.

Jinyoung tossed mark a set of chains that were enchanted with the shaman’s symbols. Each chain link had the carving of a small flower etched into it that slightly glowed like embers from a fire. The chains finally clicked into place once mark wrapped it securely around soobin all over his body. Finally, taking a huge pile of paper talismans, mark and jinyoung began to stick them to the dirty earthen wall behind soobin, arranging them into the shape of the same flower as instructed.

Once they were done with the wall, mark gathered the remaining talismans and formed the shape of a flower around soobin’s body on top of the earth. It was the same as the flower that was printed on each and every single one of the talismans, making sure soobin was bound to this place with no chance of ever being free. 

To make everything complete, jaebeom and jackson waited at the entrance of the cavern with a huge solid boulder, also with a flower emblem carved into the front of it. They intended to roll it in front of the only entrance and exit that was available, just in case someone was ever to find this place by mistake. Unless they had great magical powers that rivaled the shaman’s, they would never be able to open this place back up and set soobin free from his cage. 

Taemin waited in the tunnel behind the wolves with glee, impatient to get going so that he could be in possession of even more keys to the void. The madness from the sky gate key has already slowly begun to take hold of the minds of these silly wolves, and it was only a matter of time before they too succumb to the insanity and destroy each other just as the vampire clan had. 

Right before he could leave, Mark made the fatal mistake of looking soobin in the eyes. He couldn’t help but freeze in pure terror, falling backwards onto his ass and scooching back as fast as he could, scrambling away pathetically towards the short distance to the exit of the cavern. He made it out of the cave, but he was still unable to get back up onto his feet.

A soft laugh came from soobin’s lips as he raised his head completely up, staring deeply into mark’s eyes, holding him hostage with his gaze. Jackson looked down at mark who was breathing heavily, then he looked away from the cavern, not daring to make eye contact with the vampire. 

"Why are you afraid?" Soobin smirked, licking his lips at the taste of the fear coating the air around him. His chains rattled as he adjusted his sitting position in the dirt.

"I'm not afraid of you," the werewolf insisted, his voice slightly quivering and giving himself away.

"You're lying," soobin replied with amusement in his voice. "Everybody always lies. We all have fears we try to hide. Tell me, what are yours?" he repeated the words that forever tainted his heart. He asked the questions we all never wish to answer. 

The werewolf whimpered, unable to look away. His worst nightmares were coming to life right before him, his mind crumbling like dust under soobin's gaze.

"You're a monster," mark barely whispered. "Nobody is ever going to want to be around you. Nobody is ever going to love something so hideous, so revolting and dreadful such as you."

He continued to stare for many seconds, his eyes wide in fright, his face pale and skin clammy. He couldn't move, frozen on the spot in the tunnel outside of the cave as Jackson slowly rolled the huge rock into place, not caring about his comrade dying internally right at his own two feet.

Soobin has finally come to terms with himself. He has finally made his decision on how he was going to use his gift from now on.

Soobin smiled a compassionate smile at them, a familiar kindness in his eyes despite the horror he could bring to their minds.

"Sometimes, the world doesn't need another hero...sometimes, what the world needs is a monster to wake us up from our pretty dreams."

_He_ will be that monster for them. He will be the villain, that bump in the night, the shadow creeping out of the corner of your eye, the nightmares that haunt you in your sleep.

And with that, finally the rock rolled into place, clicking shut. Every single talisman glowed like fire, sealing the vampire away for eternity. 

The violet-black gleam of soobin's eyes was the last thing mark saw before being frozen forever in petrified fright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Familiar" by Agnes Obel


	3. Song of the Lost Island

_I am desperately reaching for something I cannot find,_

_Even if my life becomes scattered into pieces, I will still be yearning for you._

******************************

Taehyun continued to stare across the library, one of his many complicated spell books sitting open and forgotten in front of him on the wooden table. He was completely lost in thought and spacing out, which if you knew anything about taehyun personally, this wasn’t an ordinary occurrence.

Taehyun watched one of his fellow mages with amusement and a bit of wonder. What exactly was the other mage doing? And why was he being so secret about it?

The blond mage taehyun was staring at thought he was being careful and subtle, he thought he was safe from the prying eyes of the other mages in the academy. And perhaps he was. He was hidden pretty well over at a table in the far corner on this floor of the library. However, taehyun wasn’t like the other mages they trained and studied with. He was an observer who kept to himself most of the time. So it was not a surprise when felix was hidden from everyone’s sight except taehyun’s. 

Taehyun watched with curious eyes as he noticed felix bend down to a potted plant near his table. Felix frowned down at the plant, something clearly bothering him. Then, looking back and forth once more and making sure nobody saw him (he really sucked at that since taehyun could clearly see him), felix touched the dying flower softly and revived it with his magic. The flower began to heal and spring back up, as good as new. Whoever was the caretaker of the indoor plants clearly has been neglecting their job, so all of the flowers have been slowly dying as you would expect them to. Taehyun concluded that felix must have felt sorry for the poor things and performed plant magic as well as healing magic on it. A caring and endearing gesture, if taehyun was ever asked his opinion on the matter. 

Normally, an act of magic like this would not call for alarm or suspicion. But this is felix we were talking about. The blond mage was well known in the academy for not being able to perform barely any magic at all. _Of course_ taehyun would know about him. He never cared one way or another about felix, often preferring to stay out of the drama, but occasionally he would catch snippets of conversation or rumors about the magicless mage. 

However, taehyun always saw what others often missed. This isnt the first occurrence he has caught felix secretly using magic on his own; and not basic magic either. We are talking very difficult and very complicated magic that should take years to perfect. Like right now, with the flower. Magic like that is extremely advanced and difficult to do. Dont get taehyun wrong, he can perform that type of magic no problem, but it does take a bit of preparation to do it and a slight toll on his magic supply and body. You need the right combination of spells, the right hand movement, and a generous supply of magic coursing through your veins to be able to not only control another living thing (plants are alive too!) but also heal and revitalize it. And yet...felix merely touched it and within a blink of an eye he cured it. 

Yes, taehyun has always been aware of felix’s secret. He doesnt necessarily know why felix prefers to let everybody believe he cant use magic at all, and it baffles taehyun to no end that felix lets himself get bullied. But taehyun usually minds his own business, and so he continues to watch and keep felix’s secret to himself. Its not like taehyun can really blame the other mage for wanting to hide what he can do. In fact, taehyun can relate to felix much more than anybody can imagine. 

Because taehyun has a secret as well. 

Taehyun’s magic isnt like any other’s in this place. No other mage has ever been heard to possess what taehyun can do so naturally, and he has learned to keep quiet about it as much as possible. 

Taehyun can _find_ things. 

Normally, this wouldnt seem like much, right? If anything, it comes in handy quite often. Taehyun can find pretty much everything you want, and more times than he can count, one of his fellow mages always comes up to him to ask for help in finding something they lost. He has a knack for finding things such as old trinkets, lost articles of clothing, and misplaced books. However, that isnt all taehyun can do. His small gift of magic goes much further than the common parlor tricks he performs in front of the others. 

Taehyun can find _anything._

He can locate a person, without even knowing this person or meeting them. He can find lost and ancient objects that have long been buried. He can locate veils to other dimensions. You name it, taehyun can find it. He has kept this secret hidden from everyone, because being able to find things that are not supposed to be found always comes at a price. Taehyun isnt dumb, he knows how dangerous it would be if the wrong hands got a hold of him. Who knows what he would be forced to find if everyone knew about his natural born magic? 

But that was the least of taehyun’s worries. What worried him the most was what was going to happen to him the more magic he used in trying to locate things. There are certain levels to a mage’s magic; the more risky spells require more magical energy. This can easily deplete the mage’s physical condition if they go too far. Fortunately for most mages, they do not have the knowledge or skills necessary to perform strong spells or magic to get to the point of exhausting themselves. Unfortunately for taehyun, he does. 

Finding small objects for other people barely bothers him. Finding bigger things and people starts to take its toll on him. And finding things that are powerful, ancient, and dangerous downright uses up taehyun’s own lifeforce, shortening his lifespan. 

To put it bluntly, taehyun’s gift requires a price: and that price is his own life. He has known for a long time now that the more magic he uses, the shorter his lifespan will be. Using his magic heavily is basically killing him slowly. He is not immortal like the other mages, and his death has been coming faster and faster. His body simply cant keep up with the physical demand of searching for lost things. He grows cold when he uses his magic, literally the life leaving his body. It's a chilling ache deep in his bones that he can never shake off. It would not be surprising if you happen to see taehyun curled up in a blanket, or wearing an extra layer of clothing even in the warmer weather. His lips turn blue and his teeth chatter sometimes. He is always trying to drink something warm, or sit closer to the fire. 

Fruitless attempts, all of them. Taehyun is well aware that he will forever feel cold despite trying to stay warm. This coldness is like a disease, and it will only get worse to the point of no return. Taehyun is simply biding his time until the inevitable happens. 

Which is why he is growing more and more distressed as the days continue to tick by. 

He absentmindedly brought a hand up to rub at his chest, the familiar feeling still present no matter how hard he tries to ignore it during the day. He continues to feel a constant need to find... _something._ His body is telling him to search and search; but for what, he still doesnt know. He has always felt like he needs to jump up and start looking, the adrenaline coursing through him, the anxiety making him want to run far and wide so that he can find it. This urge plagues him day and night, and it only grows worse as he grows older. He can feel it when he tries to sleep, he can feel it when he studies or trains. It's like a constant pressure in his head and aching in his heart to just _go_. Start _moving_. Keep _looking_. Don't stop until he grabs a hold of it and never lets go. It's driving him mad, and filling him up with a desperation like no other. 

Movement in taehyun’s peripheral vision snapped him out of his thoughts. Silently chastising himself, he put his feelings to the back of his mind and instead focused on what was in front of him right now in this moment. He can't afford to get hung up on his emotions, especially in a place like this. 

_Stomp down on your emotions, show no weaknesses._

Taehyun glanced across the library and noticed a mage apprentice who was a year younger than him. Shin Yuna, he thinks was her name. She was waving towards him, trying to get his attention. It was obvious she needed to tell him something, but didnt want to shout since they were in the library. He got the message. 

Clenching his fists, he carefully and eloquently shut his books back up, returned the ones he was not allowed to take back with him, and then grabbed his things and headed down to the first floor to see what Yuna wanted. On his way out, he flicked his eyes one last time towards felix in the corner. He was too busy with his nose in his current textbook to really notice taehyun get up from his seat. Taehyun glanced down at the types of pages felix was intently reading, a smirk slightly forming on his lips. 

Felix was reading something forbidden again, various books from the dark arts that shouldn't be touched. Honestly, the older boy really needs to be more careful. He’s lucky everyone crossed him off as something harmless long ago, otherwise he would be in loads of trouble. 

Again, it wasn’t any of Taehyun's interest to get involved with others, and so the mystery will continue to live on as to why Felix is studying the dark arts so closely. And besides, its not like taehyun himself hasn't peeked at all those types of spell books either. So, without another glance back at the blond mage, taehyun left him to do his own thing. 

“What is it?” Taehyun asked Yuna abruptly, who was waiting for him on the bottom floor of the library. They haven't talked much, only seeing each other in training and a few classes. They were merely classmates at best, so taehyun was a bit confused as to why she called him out here. 

Yuna didn't take Taehyun's bluntness to heart. She was bubbly and energetic, and overly confident if you asked him. She can make friends with literally anybody, and more than once she tried it on taehyun as well, offering a hand multiple times to him. 

But taehyun knows the truth, he can see it clear as day. Yuna might be friendly, and she might seem to get along with everybody she meets, but there was more to it than that. She was competitive, and arrogant. She liked the attention it brought her, she liked to be needed. He can see the way it slightly irritated her each time he turned a cold shoulder to her or politely shot her down. She could never call him mean or rude, because he _wasn't._ Taehyun never acted like he was better than the others. In order to think you are better than others, you have to first care what they think about you. Taehyun doesn't. He simply keeps to himself and does the bare minimum, both qualities that no doubt frustrate someone like Yuna. 

She smiled at him, big and cheerful. “I was told to come get you! The elders want to have a private meeting with you.”

Taehyun went cold at this news, colder than what he usually feels on a continuous basis. “They want...to meet with me?” he asked again, just to be sure. 

She nodded a few times. “Yeah! I would be lying if i said i wasn't curious on what it was about. Did you do something to get yourself in trouble?” she grinned, fascinated by the idea of taehyun’s misery. 

Taehyun rolled his eyes. “You know i didn't. Thanks for letting me know.” he turned on his heel and didn't pay her any mind. “Bye,” he said, just to be polite, and then he was headed out of the library and towards the great chambers where the elders liked to hold important happenings. He had no doubt she was glaring at the back of his head, not that he cared. 

Taehyun’s footsteps echoed down the corridors as he made his way to the Elders’ chambers. He made sure he didn't hesitate in his pace, careful to conceal every emotion down to the very nerve. His face was one of neutrality, his posture was neither tense nor submissive. His steps were not fierce or timid. His hands were loose at his sides, not carefree but also not aggressive. Taehyun has everything about himself mastered, even as much as the beating of his own heart. He blended in well and he knows how to play the game. 

Stopping in front of the dark double doors, taehyun waited patiently for the human guards to let him through. He didn't acknowledge their presence, but he didnt ignore them either. He simply cut himself off from the world so that the world could not gain the upper hand in any way. 

Once he was nodded with permission to enter, taehyun stepped over the doorway and onto the marble flooring. He was on high alert as he made his way to the center of the room. The room was large in size, and completely empty. It was circular, towering up hundreds of feet and located at the center of the academy, the center of the great castle they all reside in. At the front of the room were large stone chairs that were strategically placed into a half circle along the room’s border, an obvious attempt to intimidate anyone who was granted permission to enter. A futile attempt if you asked taehyun. An elder sat at each chair, looking down with patronizing eyes at taehyun as he looked back at them with a neutral face expression. He bowed politely at the waist and waited for the elders to acknowledge him so that he could straighten back up. 

_Watch out, your enemies will be everywhere._

“Kang Taehyun, mage apprentice, you may be at ease,” the Elder of Mages said to him, apparent joy in his voice. Taehyun did as he was told and faced the Elder, careful not to say anything. 

“We heard an interesting rumor about you that we need to confirm is true. You are reminded that we expect complete honesty coming from your lips, otherwise you will face severe punishment,” the elder of wolves said to him rather aggressively. There was a slight sparkle to his eyes, and taehyun guessed he probably secretly wanted taehyun to lie just for the mere enjoyment of committing violence. 

“Of course,” taehyun replied, his voice smooth and sure. “Anything you wish to know, i would be happy to answer.” his reply was perfect, his composure reassuring to the elders. 

“Excellent. Is it true that you hold a special gift of magic where you can find objects that are lost?” the elder of elves asked taehyun. Taehyun flicked his gaze quickly among the three of them, studying them with intelligent eyes. 

He guesses the time has finally come. 

“Yes, I am able to find various objects that are hard to locate,” taehyun replied without missing a beat. 

The elder of mages smiled warmly at him, trying to ease Taehyun into a false sense of safety. 

_Soon the target will zero in on your neck._

“How accurate is this magic of yours? How does it work?” the elder asked taehyun further. 

“My magic is not as special as it sounds,” Taehyun turned to face the elder of mages completely. “I simply use something belonging to the person who wishes to find their lost object, and with the extra help I am able to find it. It is similar to a locating spell that we learned in our first years here at the academy.”

_The best lies are always based on a small bit of truth. If you believe it hard enough, then it will become real._

Taehyun lied. He played the cards in his hand, and now he will wait and see where this move takes him. 

“Interesting,” the elder said with a bit of disappointment. “And it's accuracy?”

“About 7 times out of 10, it is accurate. But not without the help of a personal object belonging to the person who wishes to find what they have lost.” he lied again. His magic is extremely accurate, more than accurate. He can find anything without even needing to know what it is exactly he is looking for. 

“We will need to test this magic of yours, since there has never been another like you with this gift,” the elder of elves cut in. taehyun didn't like the sound of that. 

“Of course, your excellency. I would be happy to serve you in any way I can,” he said. He bent his head slightly in submission, which further pleased the elders. 

“We are sending you on a mission to retrieve something for us. If you can make it back to the academy before the next night of the new moon, then we will consider it a success. If not, you will be punished.”

“We are celebrating Kim Woojin’s promotion as commander of the werewolves! There will be a gorgeous lantern festival, and everyone is welcomed to attend!” the elder of werewolves exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands. 

Well this was interesting news. Taehyun thought for sure they would appoint Wang Jackson as commander of werewolves. He was the obvious choice if they wanted someone as a puppet. But he would also be a dangerous choice in case the academy was under attack or if a hunt needed to be executed. Jackson was too unpredictable and unstable to be a leader, Woojin was the obvious best choice. 

“My congratulations are in order,” taehyun said, lifting his head to look at the elders one last time. “I accept your request and will find and retrieve whatever it is that you wish. May i ask why exactly we are holding this lantern festival on the night of a new moon. What about the demon raids?” it was a valid question, and one that taehyun needs the answer to. He needs to avoid getting caught up on the night of the new moon where the veils are at its weakest. 

The elder of the wolves grinned in glee. “It's only the first new moon of this month; at the end of the month there will be a second one which is when the demon raids will be held, no doubt. This occurrence only happens every few years, and only in two months of a given year. So it's the perfect time to mock the creatures of the night, celebrating while they think they are being clever and waiting for the second new moon of this month to attack.” 

Taehyun wanted to sigh at his stupidity. That was a really dumb reason to have the festival on a new moon, but ultimately it was harmless he supposes. 

What the elder of the werewolves said was true. It is common knowledge that a new moon happens each month of the year. But since the days of their recorded year do not match up with the stars exactly, it is possible to have two new moons in a single month; one at the beginning of the month and one at the end of the month. This only occurs every few years, and it happens in two months out of the chosen year. For example, this year is a chosen year. There will be two new moons in this upcoming month, and two new moons in a month later this year. Then it will continue to be only one new moon each month for another two or three years until it repeats all over again. 

Taehyun quickly counted the days remaining until the next new moon. He has a little less than seven days to complete his mission and return with the object the elders wish for him to find. If he doesn't make it back in time, then he will have failed and receive a punishment of their choosing. 

He faced the elders with determination in his eyes. “What is it that i have to search for?” His question echoed all around them and he waited with practiced patience for them to answer. 

The elder of mages leaned forward in his seat, scrutinizing Taehyun with a beaded gaze. 

“Have you ever heard of the gates to the void?” he asked taehyun. 

Taehyun tilted his head in curiosity, making it look like he was listening intently. “Only of what we were taught here at the academy. There are various access points to the void; how many of them we are not sure. Each access point into the void is guarded by a gate that is hidden carefully throughout the dimensions of the universe.” he did not dare say more in case he accidentally slipped up. 

“Yes, you are right. These gates are very important, because they can only be opened with its specific key that was crafted just for it. Now, it is possible to find the gates without the keys, but you still need to open them once you do. Finding the lost keys to the void would be much easier, since you can call the key’s gate to you wherever you may be in the world. It saves a lot of time and effort if you look for the keys rather than the corresponding gate. Don't you agree?” he asked, his words sharp like the edge of a sword. 

“Of course. That makes perfect sense, your excellency,” taehyun replied, his features giving nothing away to his thoughts underneath. He doesn't like where this is headed, and he pretty much already figured out what they are going to ask of him. 

“We need you to retrieve one of the keys for us. We have been looking for some time now, and we think we are close. If you can prove yourself in gathering this key, then you will be well rewarded. Do you think you can help us?” the elder of elves asked. It was a rhetorical question really. Who in their right minds would ever deny a request from the elders? That's like asking to die right on the spot. 

“I will do anything to help,” taehyun said. “However,” he needs to choose his next words wisely. “I would need something from the void in order to begin searching. As i mentioned before, my magic only works if i have a personal belonging linked to what i need to find. I don't exactly know how I would get something from the void so that I can find the keys.” 

Taehyun wasn't totally lying. Finding something that belongs to the void is going to take its toll on him, both mentally and physically. The void consists of the strongest magic ever to exist, and if taehyun overdoes it, he could possibly die. At the same time though, he doesn't _need_ an object from the void to help him find the keys. That was just said for show. If he used his true magic deep within him, he could easily locate the keys anywhere in this world. 

“That can be arranged,” the elder of mages said with an arrogant smirk on his lips. With a nod of his head, someone emerged out of the shadows. 

Taehyun watched carefully as a hooded figure approached the center of the room where he was standing. He lifted his delicate hands up and pulled the hood back so that his face was revealed. He had black hair and even blacker eyes. He was handsome, in a chilling sort of way. Immediately taehyun didn't like him. 

“Meet a great shaman that came from the mountains far in the west. His name is Lee Taemin, and he has come here to help us locate the other keys to the gates of the void.” 

Taemin bowed slightly to the elders and then to taehyun. “It is a pleasure to meet you, mage apprentice.” His voice was wispy and soft, but the sound made taehyun want to shiver in uneasiness. 

“The pleasure is all mine,” taehyun said back, politely bowing as well. Taehyun sized him up real quick, instantly taking note of the magical aura that surrounded the shaman. It wasn't the same as a magical aura that would surround a mage. This aura felt more toxic and unnerving. 

“Taemin is in possession of one of the keys to the void. He has our permission to allow you to come into close contact with it for a few seconds so that it may help you in locating the rest of them,” the elder of wolves said. 

Taehyun flicked his sharp gaze into taemin’s eyes, noting the slight look of irritation at allowing to have ‘permission’ to show the key. It would seem there is some animosity between this great shaman and the elders. 

Taemin bowed his head at the cue he was given, and lifted a chain from around his neck. Taehyun eyed the small key that was attached to this chain very carefully. He didn't want to touch it, immediately recognizing the dangerous ancient magic that surrounded it. Still, he took a step closer so that he may study it better. 

The key was small, no bigger than the palm of his hand, and it was the most beautiful key he has ever seen in his life. Gems reflected the sky if you moved it into the light. Taehyun could feel the power radiating off of it.

“Will that be enough to locate the next key?” the elder of elves asked, a slight hint of impatience in his voice. 

Taehyun stepped away from the key and nodded his head. It was more than enough, now that he knows what the magic feels like. 

“I trust that I do not have to remind you to swear yourself to secrecy with this information. We will have no problems eliminating you in the event that you tell another of your mission, your whereabouts, and what you have learned and seen today. Is that clear?” the elder of mages said in warning. 

“Crystal clear,” taehyun promised. 

Another thing was definitely clear to Taehyun as he walked out of the great chambers and headed to his room so that he could pack and get ready to leave; his time would seem to be shortened much faster than he anticipated. Once he uses his magic to find something ancient like the key to the void, he’s going to cut some years off his lifespan considerably. 

***

Taehyun decided to leave early in the morning. It was better to be done and over with it than prolong anything. He was wearing a simple pair of clothing rather than the golden robes the mages are forced to wear everyday. He had on a dark and flowy long sleeve shirt and comfortable pants and boots to go with it; something easy to travel and move around in. of course, he had a short sleeved shirt under his long sleeve, as well as a night shirt under that despite the warm and sticky weather.He woke up freezing this morning, his arms covered in goosebumps and the tip of his nose cold. Actually, he would have been on the road well over an hour ago if he didn't have to waste time warming up with a cup of hot tea and staying buried under his three blankets while he drank it. 

He passed down the quieter corridors of the castle heading towards the front exit when he noticed a small commotion up ahead. 

“Still as worthless as usual, aye felix?” youngjae, an older mage apprentice, taunted the blond haired mage. Taehyun slowed as he watched youngjae knock Felix's books out of his hands, then laughing as he continued on his way. He headed straight towards taehyun, but he was still several feet from crossing paths with him. 

Taehyun flicked his eyes to felix, who looked down at the ground, sighing as he began to pick up his books. His shoulders were a bit hunched, almost like he was just...tired. Taehyun closed his eyes, not liking what he saw but also knowing that his help wouldn’t solve anything for felix. 

_Honestly, why does everyone have to be so childish? Weren't we better than this?_

Taehyun snorted at what a hypocrite he was. 

Because just as youngjae walked past taehyun, not even glancing twice at the younger boy, taehyun walked forward and harshly bumped his shoulder into youngjae, making him stumble a bit.

“Hey, watch it pipsqueak!” youngjae snarled at taehyun. 

Taehyun looked down his nose at youngjae, a neutral expression on his face but the arrogance and disgust not masked in his eyes if you were looking close enough. It was clear that taehyun was obviously taller than youngjae despite being younger than him. 

“My bad, I didn't see you there. I'm sorry,” he said, but there was no apologetic tone to his voice. 

He quickly turned away, hiding his eyes in his light brown bangs so that youngjae wouldn’t catch on to his sarcasm. His long golden earrings swayed with the abrupt movement, and then he was down the hall and gone before youngjae could even make a retort, leaving the older mage speechless. 

Felix was long gone by now, not witnessing the exchange. 

***

Taehyun stopped on the road that led towards the west. He looked up at the sky and inhaled a deep breath into his lungs, noting the weather. It seemed like it was going to rain, which he frowned at. Rain meant it would get cooler out, which meant he was going to be wet and cold...colder than he already was. 

He grumbled slightly to himself as he began to perform a bit of his magic. He knows he should keep himself in check so that he doesn't use up too much of his physical energy, but he needs a good starting point if he was going to return within seven days before the lantern festival and new moon. 

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He blocked out all other distractions around him, letting the world and its energies fall into place. He focused on something that nobody else could see, a path that did not exist, and he let that path pull him to where he needed to go. 

Taehyun opened his eyes abruptly, his irises glowing a neon hazel color. He turned his body away from the west, instead looking towards the south. He knows the elders said that the great shaman located the first key in the mountains to the west, so naturally that would be a good place to start looking for the rest of them, but for some reason his instincts were telling him that south was the better option at the moment. He thought fast, flicking through various details as he considered his new direction. There was a coastal town only a little over a day’s walk from here, and if taehyun was being honest, he would much rather go there so that he could avoid the rain. 

Mind made up, taehyun stepped away from the west and instead headed south towards a little old harmless coastal town that bordered the sea. 

***

Taehyun grumbled while walking through the trees many hours later. He felt the beginnings of a few raindrops falling through the leaves, and the sky has gotten considerably darker. It was still light enough to tell that it was midday, but still...he doesn't want to get wet.

It's not that he hates getting wet, but once he does he finds it hard to warm back up. And now that his supplies and shelter are seriously limited, he’s going to be bone-chilled for the rest of his mission, which is just aggravating. 

He made good time a few hours after that, entering the outskirts of the town just as the rain really began to pick up. It was the best he could have hoped for. He stopped in the marketplace, taking in his surroundings for a second and deciding where he would like to go first. 

The entire town was bustling with activity. It was a coastal town that bordered the sea where a lot of shipments and items come in to be sold by merchants and for trade. The buildings were made from wood, and the air had a slight salty mist to it. It was so close to the ocean, you could literally hear the waves crashing over in the distance. Men were shouting, boarding ships and carrying goods to and from the docks. Merchants were selling items of trade along the streets and in the marketplace where people swarmed the area. It was cozy and very inviting. The rain didn't even seem to bother them, as nobody made a move to seek shelter. They must have been well accustomed to small spurts of rainstorms occurring due to being so close to the sea. Taehyun guesses to them it was nothing more than warm rain to cool their sun-kissed and weathered skin, which can be quite refreshing to anybody but him. 

Taking the first step, taehyun wandered through the market, glancing at everything around him. He tried his best to navigate through all of the people, everyone so close that he was bound to accidentally bump into someone a few times. Music played, and food stalls filled the air with savory scents. Merchants were yelling out prices and other goods they were selling, trying to get people to come to their stalls. Taehyun started to gradually get soaked from the mist and light rain, so he opted to find a decent looking inn to hole himself up into for the night. By the looks of it though, finding a room may be difficult. Whenever a shipment comes in during the month, a trade town like this is super crowded and busy; people from all around here travel to this area so that they can restock on much needed items and trade with other merchants. 

___

Taehyun sighed again, coming up empty for a room in the third inn already. Just as he predicted, they were all booked to the max. It was going to be nightfall soon, and he was starting to get worried. Not worried that he would be stranded on the streets in the marketplace since the night life was even more exciting in a town like this than the day time, but that he would be forced to rest out in the open with twice the amount of people he’s already seen. 

As he was walking and trying to come up with a plan to get himself some much needed food and maybe four blankets and a front row spot by the fireplace, he came to a huge crowd of people all in a circle blocking a fair portion of the lit up street he was currently on. 

He stopped in his spot, awed by what he saw. 

A blue-haired male was dancing elegantly in the middle of the street. Now, this wasn't an odd scene to come by. It was common to see street dancers spread out all over the place, entertaining the crowd for extra coins. Taehyun has passed by at least a dozen in the few hours he has been here already, but none of them have gained his attention completely like this one had. 

The darkness has fallen upon them finally, and the entire town was lit up with the prettiest of lights. Each of the stall owners decorated their areas with colorful candles, bonfires blazed around the streets, and the still wet cobblestones glistened from it. It was a stunning sight already, but even more so with the dancer in the street in front of taehyun. 

Taehyun studied him, unable to take his eyes away. There was something about this dancer that wasn’t quite like the others. He wore long and extravagant silk robes, his hair as blue as the ocean and his ears were decorated with silver hoops. His clever fox-like eyes glinted reddish brown in the firelight. He had a matching silver hand-held paper fan that folded. It was gorgeous and quite unique, drawing your attention to it every time he waved it around his face or opened it with a flick of his wrist. The fan was decorated with red flowers, it’s petals blazing in a vibrant fire. He danced slowly and fluidly to the sad and traditional music that was playing, his steps never faltering or missing a beat. Honestly, taehyun wouldn't be surprised if he was a professional dancer, he was that good, perhaps even better than he has ever seen. 

There was something mysterious and captivating about this dancer, like he knew all eyes were on him, like he knew the power he held over his audience. If taehyun had to describe him based on these first observations, he would categorize him as distant and untouchable. A beauty that blazed so hot, you would surely get burned the closer you approached. 

Snapping out of his trance, taehyun began to look away. He still needed to find a place to stay. But then before he could leave the crowd, he locked gazes with the fox-like dancer. His gut wrenched when he made eye contact, urging him and pulling him towards the dancer. The same thing must have happened to the blue-haired stanger, because he suddenly stopped dancing and stared at Taehyun with a strong look of recognition on his face. Taehyun was positively sure he has never met this other boy in his entire life, so a certain curiosity burned in his veins when the dancer stared at him like he knew him. 

The crowd gasped and urged the dancer to continue until the song finished, but he didn't seem to care that he was potentially going to lose money if he didnt continue his performance. He snapped his fan shut and began to make his way through the crowd towards taehyun. 

To say taehyun was surprised was an understatement. He blinked his pretty lashes as he watched the dancer reach a hand out and grab his wrist in earnest, stopping taehyun from potentially leaving or disappearing back into the crowd. 

“It's you,” the dancer said, like he and taehyun were long lost friends or something. 

“It's...me?” taehyun questioned, for some reason not minding that this boy who was obviously taller than him was holding onto his wrist still. 

The dancer bent down a little and squinted his eyes at taehyun, a bright smile lighting up his face as he nodded to himself. “Yeah! It's definitely you!” he said with glee. 

“Look, i have no idea what you are talking about, but if you would please let go of my hand, i have to continue searching for a place to stay and maybe some food before all of the inns close up for the night,” taehyun said bluntly. He wasn't being unkind, he was just stating the facts. He didn't have time to wonder who this strange person was, because now he’s only got about six days left until the new moon. 

The stranger’s face blinked in surprise, and then he let go of taehyun’s wrist. “Oh right! Sorry! Look, i know this might be sudden, but you can actually share a room with me? I've been staying in a nearby inn for the past few days for my performances. And they make the best meals! It's my treat!” 

“What-” taehyun began to question, but didn't have time to politely decline or argue, because the next thing he knew, he’s being dragged again through the crowd and into one of the inns he already tried to book a room in. Then he was led over to a wooden table to the far corner, and soon a ton of food was placed all over the top of it. 

Taehyun sat there in silence, watching in complete shock as the dancer started stuffing his face, not a care in the world at how embarrassing he looked. Gone was the sophisticated and elegant dancer, replacing him with a glutton who’s eyes sparkle in unquestionable happiness just from food being placed in front of him. 

After three plates had already been finished in a matter of minutes and he called for more food to be delivered to his table, his quick eyes finally flicked back to taehyun. Taehyun almost flinched with the unexpected focus and complete switch in attitude from him. 

“Sorry for being a bit abrupt, but it's a bad habit of mine to just jump into things. After recognizing you, I got so excited and couldn't help myself. I didn't introduce myself yet! My name is Choi Yeonjun!” he grinned at taehyun.

Taehyun stayed quiet, unsure of how to process this. He didn't have to think about it too much though because then yeonjun pouted at him, jutting out his pretty lips and giving him a kicked puppy look. “You won't tell me your name? And you’re not going to eat? You should probably eat more, you are way too tiny.”

“Kang Taehyun,” he introduced himself. “And i'm not _that_ much shorter than you,” he huffed, causing Yeonjun to giggle slightly. 

“You are the cutest thing in the world!” he exclaimed, and then got distracted when the extra food he ordered finally came. 

He thinks...taehyun is cute? That's the first time taehyun has ever heard someone refer to him like that, and he doesn't quite know how to feel about it. 

At the pointed glare from yeonjun, taehyun got the hint and started to finally eat. He went straight for the soup, hoping it will warm him up quicker. Yeonjun seemed to approve because his eyes squinted up into crescents and he then went back to stuffing his face. 

After several minutes of companionable silence, yeonjun finally felt satisfied enough to slow down on his eating and turn his attention back to taehyun. Taehyun wasn’t much of a big eater, but he did have a generous plate of food after his soup. He supposes he has to thank yeonjun for that. 

Yeonjun watched taehyun closely with sharp eyes, but for some odd reason taehyun didn't mind it. Yeonjun did it in such a way where it seemed like he was more fascinated and curious rather than suspicious and cautious. 

“Hey taehyunnie...oh wait, you don't mind me calling you that since I'm older do you?” yeonjun asked. 

“How do you know you’re older than me?” taehyun asked. 

Yeonjun grinned a sly grin at him. “Trust me, i'm wayyyyy older than you taehyunnie!” it seemed like yeonjun already decided on keeping the nickname, regardless of taehyun’s opinion. But taehyun was pretty easy-going and didn't care or get caught up on stuff like that, so he let it slide. 

“You can't be more than your early twenties,” taehyun noted. 

Yeonjun nodded in confirmation. “Right you are! Im 22!” but he kept a sly smile on his face when he said that, which made taehyun suspicious. 

Taehyun squinted his eyes at yeonjun. “And how long have you _been_ 22?” he asked.

Yeonjun laughed out loud, giggling in his seat. “Far too long, taehyunnie. Far too long. Hey so back to what i was gonna ask. Where’s the demon kid? Isn't he with you?” 

Taehyun froze in his seat, unsure of what he was saying. His heart kicked up a notch, pounding a little harder than it was just a moment ago. 

“The…...demon?” taehyun trailed the word off his lips, tilting his head in confusion and staring deeply at yeonjun. His head started to hurt, giving him a headache. 

Yeonjun nodded, running his tongue over his teeth to make sure nothing was stuck in them. “Yep! You know? That grey-blonde haired demon you always hang out with? Inseparable? Joined at the hip?” 

Yeonjun didn't seem to notice the change in taehyun’s demeanor. He hid his emotions well, he didn't let it show- that all to familiar anxiety and desperation clawing its way to the surface once more at what yeonjun was saying. 

Taehyun licked his dry and cold lips, trying to fix his composure. “Yeonjun-ssi, you do realize that I am a mage, employed under the Elders? Demons are my mortal enemy, it's my job to kill and destroy each and every one of them. What you are saying simply doesn't make sense.” 

Yeonjun flicked his eyes to Taehyun's super fast, widening a little bit in realization. “Is this you saying that you have no idea who i'm talking about? And call me hyung…” he said that last part with with stubbornness. 

Taehyun shook his head. “Sorry...hyung. I don't know what demon you refer to. Also, the more important question is, how do you know _me_? We have never met in my entire life.” 

Yeonjun sighed, and then banged his forehead down on the table, making the empty bowls and plates rattle a little bit. Taehyun flinched slightly at the abruptness. Yeonjun was so unpredictable, it leaves Taehyun surprised more often than he likes. 

“Shit, shit shit, I did it again didn't i? I'm assuming it hasn't happened yet. God, this is getting so frustrating,” he rambled, his voice muffled by being directed towards the floor. 

“Yeonjun-ss-hyung,” taehyun began in a calming voice. “I don't understand what you are saying, so if you want to have an actual coherent conversation with me, you are going to have to explain.” 

Yeonjun inhaled a deep breath through his nose and then sat up straight. He smacked both of his cheeks with his hands and then fixed his hair a bit. “Ok, you’re right. It's not fair of me to drag you here and then not explain myself.”

Taehyun waited patiently as many emotions flickered across Yeonjun's face. He was just so energetic, it was sometimes hard to keep up. 

“So a long time ago I was shown my future. You were in it...and others. That’s all i can really say, but yeah, i've been looking for a while now. I mostly just travel from town to town and perform, but i've always kept an eye out. And well, today I recognized you. Oh shit, I probably totally screwed up the future or wait, is this the present? Oh god, i'm so bad at this time shit, like i literally don't have the brain capacity to keep all this straight and now you probably think im crazy dont you?” yeonjun babbled.

“Well yeah, a little bit,” taehyun smiled. If yeonjun had real animal ears, they would no doubt be turned down with the look he was giving taehyun at this moment. “But i believe you. Anything can happen in this world.” 

Taehyun wasnt stupid. He knows fate has led him to this moment for a reason. He was wise in not asking further questions to yeonjun. And believe him, he’s got many questions now. 

“Right! Hey oh my god, taehyunnie. I have a great idea! Why don't you come travel with me? Won't that be fun?” yeonjun gave him a pleading look with shining eyes. 

Honestly? Taehyun’s heart warmed at the invitation. They were perfect strangers, and yet it felt like they have known each other for a long time. 

But his job isn't finished yet. He will have to face horrible consequences if he just up and left while the elders were waiting for him to return with the key. 

With great regret, taehyun shook his head, immediately feeling bad. “I'm sorry, I would love to, but i'm actually looking for something. If i don't find it and return before the new moon, I will be punished.”

Yeonjun’s upper lip curled slightly and he let out a soft growl when taehyun mentioned he was going to get punished. Taehyun wasn't sure what to make of that just yet. 

“What is it that you need to find? Maybe i can help so you wont get punished,” yeonjun offered. 

Taehyun weighed his options, and came to the conclusion that yeonjun might actually be able to help him so he doesn't have to overexert himself with magic to locate it. “Im looking for a special key, and my magic has led me in this direction. Do you know of anything around here?” 

Yeonjun nodded. “Right, you must mean the keys to the void.” 

Taehyun gaped at him, frozen in place and super tense. 

Yeonjun grinned a wicked smile and shrugged. “Like i said, i was shown some things i shouldn’t have been able to see. To answer your question, no, I don't know where the key could be. I've only been in this place for a few days, and I jump around a lot.” 

Taehyun deflated at that. Looks like he’s back to using his own magic to find the key. 

“But,” yeonjun began to say again, his smile never leaving his face. “I did hear of some rumors of a secret place with lots of treasures. I was actually gonna hit that place up before I left this coastal town. Maybe we can check there?” 

“I...guess...but isn't that stealing?” taehyun questioned.

Yeonjun shrugged without remorse. “Stealing is what i'm good at. Can't help it, it's just a part of my nature. And besides, I'm not stealing for _me_. I heard someone has been swiping music and instruments from the musicians around here. And then the musicians ended up going missing when they went to look for their lost items or tried to get them back. I figured I'll take a look around and see if I can help out before I leave.”

Taehyun blinked at him in surprise, a small smile taking form on his lips. “That’s actually very thoughtful of you to do something like that for people you don't even know.” 

Yeonjun laughed, getting ready to stand up. “Well, scurrying around and digging my claws into things is what I do best.”

“Are you a shifter or something?” taehyun has been having a hard time getting a good read on this strange boy. He doesn't necessarily have the usual mannerisms of a shifter, but at the same time he’s also got some type of magic that taehyun has never experienced before. Being a mage, he’s pretty good at feeling and pinpointing magic from everyone, but he’s still struggling with yeonjun. 

“Yes and no,” yeonjun said, straightening his silk robes that are way too flashy for a place like this. “Im a fox spirit. So technically I can shift back into a fox, but I also am part fae so my magic is a bit different from yours.”

“Ah, that makes sense then,” taehyun let out a breath. He also stood up, obviously getting the hint that it was time to go. “You really _are_ old then,” taehyun snorted. 

Yeonjun pouted out his pretty lips at that. “You don't have to say it like _that_ , taehyunnie.” He made his way around the table, his steps quick and graceful. 

Taehyun followed yeonjun towards the stairs that led to the upper floors of the inn. The place was still rowdy with people eating and drinking despite it being close to midnight. Taehyun was just grateful to finally be able to cuddle under some blankets and try and chase away the chill. His fingers were like ice right now. 

“Come on, my room is on the third floor,” yeonjun beckoned him. 

He didn't have to be told twice. 

***

“I uh...will take the floor,” taehyun said after washing up in a hot bath for well over 30 minutes. His body temperature was back to somewhat normal, but if he didn't get under something warm soon, he would cool back down. 

There was only one small bed, one small desk and chair, and a window to the outside in this room. Yeonjun was already on the bed, changed into something more comfortable and humming softly to himself. Obviously the bed wasn't big enough for the both of them to sleep in comfortably, so taehyun, being polite as usual, offered to take the floor since he was the one technically imposing onto yeonjun. He was already internally grimacing at how cold and uncomfortable the floor would be, but it was only fair. If it wasn't for yeonjun he wouldn’t even have a roof over his head this night. 

“Don't be stupid, there’s plenty of room for the both of us. You are smaller than me, so i think we can make it work,” yeonjun laughed, flopping over on his side and patting the covers next to him. Taehyun couldn't believe how casual he was to a stranger.

Well… maybe taehyun wasn't exactly a stranger to him. 

No, taehyun must not think about this. Yeonjun is right, if he reveals too much of what he knows about the future, it could mess things up in ways they couldn't comprehend. 

“Are you...sure?” taehyun hesitated. He’s never exactly been super close to anybody before in his entire life, so it's a little foreign to him right now. Logically speaking, it does make sense to share or take the floor.

“I'm sorry, am i being weird again? It would be sort of strange for you to be so close to someone you don't know, wouldn't it? It's just, i already feel so comfortable with you because, you know...but i totally forgot to consider your perspective of things. Here I am, just popping out of nowhere and dragging you along..” yeonjun looked down at the bed with a sad look on his face. Taehyun watched him change moods so suddenly, and he genuinely looked upset at the thought of taehyun not wanting to get closer to him. 

It was all a little overwhelming, but in a good way. 

Taehyun smiled, unable to argue any further with yeonjun when he is giving him that sad look like a kicked puppy..or uh er, fox. 

“Yeah it is weird,” he said bluntly, making yeonjun flinch a little. “But i also don't mind it. As long as you’re okay with it, then yes i'll share the bed with you.” 

Yeonjun looked back up at taehyun with such joy in his eyes, you would think taehyun hung the stars. Taehyun made his way over to the other side of the bed, and pulled back the covers so he could slip under. He frowned at how light the blanket was. It made sense that they weren’t heavy. What normal person would want a super thick blanket smack in the middle of warm and humid weather? 

He will just have to make do with this thin blanket and his few layers of clothes. 

After spending a few seconds shifting and making himself comfortable, he finally settled on his side facing yeonjun while yeonjun rolled over onto his back. They were almost touching, but it was fine as long as yeonjun wasn't a messy sleeper and didn't toss and turn as much. Taehyun studied yeonjun’s side profile for a little while, trying to gather his thoughts together as he waited to warm up. 

Yeonjun was certainly a mystery. Taehyun can kind of see more and more fox-like characteristics to him as he got to know him better. First is the uncanny ability to scrounge around and swipe things. Then his glutton-like appetite. He also is very light on his feet, and moves fluidly like water. But most of all is his clever wit and how perceptive he is. He read taehyun like a book earlier, easily guessing what taehyun was thinking. Normally this would bother taehyun, he has perfected the art of hiding his thoughts over the years. But, yeonjun was different and he found he didn't mind it as much as he thought he would. It was nice having someone be so attuned to you without having to explain things all the time or take it the wrong way every time he speaks. 

Taehyun shut his eyes, finally letting sleep take him. Yeonjun’s presence was very comforting and for once in his life, he was able to let his guard down, not having to worry about the many enemies he has always been surrounded by. 

___

Taehyun woke up shivering, the sun filtering into the room and causing his head to ache. He was curled up into a ball under the blankets, sweat beading on his forehead. He tried to sit up and focus on his vision, but that became a little too difficult so he laid his head back down on the pillow. 

The door creaked open and yeonjun walked in with a worry mark on his forehead. 

When did yeonjun leave and come back? Taehyun was usually a light sleeper and would have noticed if yeonjun got up this morning without him. Then again, yeonjun was a fox by nature after all. 

“Taehyunnie, I brought you some water and porridge. And a cool cloth for your forehead,” yeonjun said, walking over and placing the tray of food onto the desk nearby. He stepped closer to taehyun’s side of the bed and crouched down smoothly so that he was eye level with taehyun. “How are you feeling?” he asked worriedly. 

Taehyun furrowed his brows, not following what was happening. “Huh?” 

Yeonjun chuckled softly. “You’re sick taehyunnie. I noticed this morning how you were burning up with a fever, so I went down and got you an extra blanket and pillow. It seemed to help a little i guess...but you are still sweating and hot.” 

“I'm sick?” taehyun questioned. Yeonjun nodded as he gently swiped taehyun’s sweaty bangs off his forehead. Then he stood up and grabbed the wet cloth, coming back to dab at taehyun’s face. 

“How long were you out there in the rain for? It's a good thing i didn't let you sleep on the floor, otherwise you would have been much worse this morning,” yeonjun rambled. 

Taehyun groaned at how weak his muscles were and how heavy his limbs felt. He had no choice but to just let yeonjun take care of him. 

“I get sick easily, so this isn't a surprise to me,” taehyun said, his teeth chattering a little bit. Yeonjun finished wiping his face and then brought some water and the porridge over to him. Taehyun spent a few minutes letting himself be spoon fed by yeonjun and forcing the food down even though he wasn't hungry. He knows how important it is to keep his strength up whenever he gets sick, otherwise it will just get way worse for him. Yeonjun thankfully kept somewhat quiet, understanding that his excessive talking might be a drain on Taehyun's strength. 

Once he was finished, taehyun let his head flop back to the pillow as another shiver wracked his body. Yeonjun tucked him back up with the extra blankets and propped his head with another pillow. Then he placed a cool cloth on his forehead. 

“How did you get the extra blankets and stuff?” taehyun asked, genuinely curious. It wasn't easy getting extra things in a fully booked inn. 

Yeonjun gave him another sly smile. “I'm good at getting things. They won't even know they are missing it.” 

Taehyun let out a huff that was supposed to be a laugh. “I should have guessed you would just steal it. I'm assuming you ransacked the kitchen and took the food unnoticed too.”

“Right you are, taehyunnie! I regret nothing, not when my friend needs help,” yeonjun said proudly. Then he dug a hand in his pocket and pulled out a roll of bread, biting happily into it. 

“Did you steal food for yourself too?” taehyun laughed again, coughing a bit afterwards. 

“I was hungwy,” yeonjun pouted, his mouth full of bread. Taehyun just shook his head, but let it go. He closed his eyes, hoping to sleep off his cold. 

“Hey taehyunnie, i'm going to be leaving soon to do more street performances, but then i'll be back later tonight. You think you will be fine by yourself?” yeonjun honestly sounded worried for him. 

Taehyun waved a hand at yeonjun, giving him permission to go. He honestly doesn't remember much after that, already drifting off back to sleep. 

___

He didn't wake up again until late at night, the soft light from a candle flickering on the desk and creating shadows around him. 

“Your fever still hasnt gone down,” yeonjun muttered softly next to taehyun’s face, checking his forehead. “Should i be worried? Why aren't you getting better quicker?”

“M-my magic makes it worse,” taehyun whispered, trying to stay coherent. 

“What kind of magic is that?” yeonjun asked, tucking the blankets around taehyun better. 

“I can find things,” taehyun barely spoke. “I can find anything, but my magic comes at a price. In order to find something, it draws the energy it needs right from the core of my soul.”

Yeonjun frowned, shifting on the bed and then gripping taehyun’s wrists so that he could lightly tug the younger boy closer to his body. “I've never heard of something like that for a mage. When was the last time you used this magic of yours?”

“I never stopped using it. There is no on or off switch. The only thing i can do is limit it, which helps,” taehyun said quietly, unconsciously curling into yeonjun’s warmer body. 

“It's slowly killing you,” yeonjun spoke, his voice slightly quivering, but maybe taehyun was just delirious and thought he heard it. 

“I already know,” taehyun snorted. “It will be a long time until I die, but yes, I am not immortal like the other mages. I have already come to peace with this knowledge. The only thing i can do is move forward.” 

Yeonjun didn't say anything, instead wrapping his arms around taehyun’s shoulders and rubbing his arms and back to try and warm him up. He even used a little bit of his foxfire, to see if that would help. 

It didn't really make much of a difference, taehyun was still pretty cold, but it was better than nothing and for that taehyun was grateful. This is the first time anybody has cared enough to take care of him. 

“I'll see what i can find in town. Are you sure the key is somewhere around here?” yeonjun asked. 

Taehyun cuddled in closer to yeonjun’s chest, sleep taking him once more. “Yeah, it's not too far away.”

***

It was a total of four days later until taehyun started feeling well enough to get back to normal and move around. He knew his time was almost up, so he’s going to have to hurry and find the key. 

He was packing up what few belongings he had when suddenly the door to their room flew open. He looked over at yeonjun curiously, noting the excitement in the fox’s steps. 

“I think I might be onto something!” yeonjun said. 

“About what?” taehyun asked, throwing a long sleeved shirt over his current shirt. 

“About the missing music and instruments to those musicians I mentioned a few days ago,” yeonjun said. 

“What about them?” taehyun asked. 

“After asking around, all of the musicians who lost their items and went missing had one thing in common: they went to see a fortune teller on the day their music was stolen.” 

“Are you suggesting we go to see this fortune teller?” taehyun asked. He wasn't opposed to the idea, except he was on a time limit. 

“No! I know you need to find the keys, this will only take me a quick hour or two and then i'll join back up with you. Sound good?” 

Taehyun shrugged, “yeah ok. I don't mind at all. This is my mission anyways, so i don't expect you to stick around if you don't want to.”

Yeonjun pouted again, walking over and ruffling taehyun’s hair a bit. Taehyun looked up and fixed his hair. 

“Of course i'm going to stick around, taehyunnie. We are going to be together forever, after all.” He said that with such a bright smile and utter confidence that taehyun almost believed him without question. 

And just as chaotically as yeonjun entered the room, he left, leaving taehyun alone. 

A few minutes later, he was all ready to go. Taking a deep breath, he sat on the floorboards, closing his eyes and concentrating on his magical energy. He needs a clearer direction to head in, but he doesn't want to overdo it and get weak again. 

He sat in the silence, frowning as he found it more difficult than usual to concentrate in the quiet and emptiness. 

It would seem he grew accustomed to yeonjun’s presence the last few days, and now that he was gone it felt a bit awkward and unsettling to be on his own again. yeonjun filled the space around him with his laughter and constant rambling and absurd mannerisms. 

Pushing those feelings away, he concentrated again at the task at hand. He could feel a pull in his stomach, pushing him into a direction he needed to go. If he amped up the magic a little more, then he would have no problems at all finding exactly what he wanted. But again that would take its toll on his body. 

Opening his eyes, he finally settled on a direction he could start in. He stood up and walked towards the window, staring out towards the sea. 

That’s where taehyun should begin. 

***

Taehyun sighed, walking along the beach hours later. The sun was setting and he was no closer to finding the key than he was in the mid morning. He gets a sense that it’s around here somewhere, but it's faint and not really strong. He was starting to get frustrated.

Plopping himself in the sand, he closed his eyes again, this time using even more of his magic. His teeth chattered a bit and he could feel his nose and lips getting cold, but he ignored it. In his mind, he saw a flash of a cave hidden in the rocks located on the shoreline of this beach. It can probably only be accessed at low tide. He snapped his eyes open and was on his feet in a flash, whipping his head in the direction further down the beach where the more rocky seacoast resided. It wasn’t safe over there once the tide came crashing in at night, especially with the new moon merely days away, but that’s where he wanted to go. 

Taehyun ran through the sand, and then making sure no one was looking, he started to climb the rocks and wade into the ocean. 

Was this stupid of him? Yes. But did he have a choice if it meant it was one step closer to finding the key to the void? No.

Being careful not to fall, taehyun climbed the rocks and avoided deeper areas of the seacoast. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the prickly icy feeling in his fingertips from being wet with sea water and the side effects of using his magic to such a large extent. He placed one careful foot in front of the other, following the pull that his magic granted him like it was an internal compass. At one point he even slipped, catching himself on the rock and cursing when it scraped his hand a bit. At another point, he even dropped down lower towards the raging waves, squinting against the setting sun to try and find some sign of a cave or opening. 

Just when he was sure that he was right on top of it, taehyun caught a glimpse of something shiny in the rocks down below under the slowly rising water. It was probably a stroke of luck that the reddening sun just so happened to glint off of this shiny object, otherwise taehyun would have never found it in the dark. 

Being a tad bit reckless, taehyun dropped completely into the water, his feet barely making contact with some jagged rocks under him. He waded into it, completely soaked now and slightly annoyed since the water was not warm at all. He swam carefully a little bit closer to the area he saw the glint, noting that the water was getting deeper the more he went outwords. He wasnt completely dumb though, always keeping a hand near the cliffside of the shoreline so he wouldnt lose his bearings in case a wave took him out a little farther than he wanted. 

After some major struggling, taehyun looked down into the seawater, finally finding what he was looking for. It was a small opening in the rocks, and it was almost completely covered by the water now that the sun was almost set. The tide will surely hide it once it settles in. 

It was now or never. 

Taking a deep breath, taehyun submerged himself under the water and opened his eyes to see how to get into the cave. He swam a few feet under, noting that there was definitely something in there. 

And then he was in a predicament he couldn't have guessed would happen. Somebody actually shielded the cave with magic, preventing someone from entering. 

What. The. Hell?

He couldn't go any further, not without breaking the shield using his own magic. Taehyun gritted his teeth in annoyance and swam back to the surface since he was out of air. He gasped in deeply and then stared down at the cave so he wouldn't lose sight of it. 

It turns out that his stroke of luck ended earlier. Shivering in the water while he kicked his legs and moved his arms to stay afloat, taehyun tried to think of a new plan. The tide was coming in really soon, so he needs to get into that cave and fast. He could always cast a spell to break the shield of magic around the cave, he was a mage after all and a damn good one, but his magical energy wasn't limitless, and he already used up a big chunk of it just trying to locate this place. 

He also wasn’t crazy enough to risk his life to the point of death, so he honestly had no way of getting into that cave right here in this moment. 

Taehyun was about to turn back around when he heard a gasp of glee and a nasally laugh along with his name from up above on the rocks. 

“Taehyunnie! Why the hell are you in the water? Boi- do you wanna die or something?” yeonjun called out to him, waving his arm around as if taehyun couldn't see him clear as day in his silver silken robes and vibrant blue hair. If taehyun didn't know better, he would have thought yeonjun came from the moon or something. 

“Just thought i would go for a nightly swim,” taehyun joked. “What about you? Why are you here?” he called up to him.

Yeonjun gave him a pointed look, not finding his comment humorous. “I told you i was going to find the lost music! It was a pain in the ass to get this far, but here I am!” 

“This cave holds something I want to find!” taehyun told him. “But i can't get in. someone casted a huge magic shield around it and the tide is coming soon!” 

“Taehyun, just how much magic did you use to get this far to the point that you cant break some stupid shield?” yeonjun started to lecture, crossing his arms over his chest and making taehyun feel slightly guilty, like he was a child that ate all of the cookies or something. 

“Uhh, so can you help?” taehyun asked, giving him big doe eyes and what he hopes was a pleading face. 

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, smiling a wicked grin. “That’s a stupid question taehyun. There isn't a single place that can keep me out. I can get into anything!” 

Taehyun watched as yeonjun cracked his knuckles and then his neck, like he was getting ready to square up in a fight. The sun completely set finally, bathing the sky into an indigo blue that would soon be black. Yeonjun gazed into the ocean below taehyun, his eyes glinting a reddish brown so brightly. A steady blue fire surrounded his body, wrapping around him almost lovingly. He lit up the area, his fire travelling across the rocks and into the water around taehyun. 

It was beautiful to watch. The fire trailed into the water, glowing blue and sparkling under the waves, as if it was a swirl of shooting stars in the galaxy. The fire didn't go out, and it never harmed taehyun. Being a mage, taehyun could literally see yeonjun’s foxfire shatter the shield easily below him, opening the way to the cave. Then a splash was heard right next to taehyun. Yeonjun dropped into the water effortlessly, wrapping an arm around taehyun’s waist to help him out a bit. His hands were warm with his fire and taehyun was grateful for the small reprieve from the cold. 

“Ready?” yeonjun asked, grinning that usual wicked grin taehyun was starting to like a lot. 

Taehyun nodded. “Yep, lets go.” he felt so much better now that yeonjun was here. He’s been kind of getting tired of always being on his own. 

They both sucked in a huge breath and then dove under the now deep water. Yeonjun mostly led the way, taking on the brunt of swimming for both of them. He easily swam past the opening of the jagged rock and carted them quickly into the cave before they could lose breath. Their heads popped above the surface, and yeonjun’s quick eyes flashed around the entire cave, immediately taking note of his surroundings so there weren't any unwanted surprises. Taehyun was already doing the same, they worked well together. 

“Ok, up you go taehyunnie,” yeonjun snorted, lifting taehyun easily out of the water and onto the rocks. 

Taehyun glared at yeonjun for implying he was small again, but then he was easily distracted a few seconds later at what he saw. 

The entire cave was no bigger than a small room with jagged rocks slicing from both the top and bottom, making it difficult to move around in. That wasn't what left taehyun speechless though. It was the mountains of treasures covering the rocks and every inch of the place. 

“What the-” taehyun began. This must have been the source of the glint he saw earlier in the sunlight. 

“Are you kidding me?!” yeonjun complained, hoisting himself effortlessly out of the water. “How the hell am i supposed to find the lost music in all of this crap?” he whined some more, kicking a few coins out of frustration. 

Taehyun was about to make a comment back about how the hell was he supposed to find a _key_ in this place, when suddenly yeonjun was back on high alert and stepping in front of taehyun, a small growl coming from his lips and his foxfire surrounding the both of them. 

“Who’s there?” he called out. 

A light laughter could be heard in the cave, causing a shiver to crawl down taehyun’s spine, and this time it wasnt from the cold. 

“Care to get your fortune told?” they heard a female voice say from the shadows. Soon her figure emerged into plain view for the both of them to see. She wore a blue hooded cloak with gems decorating the edges. Her eyes were as blue as the sea and her lips sported a bright red. She smiled a kind smile at him, showing off pearly white teeth. 

“Mermaid,” yeonjun sniffed, squinting his eyes suspiciously at her. “I take it that this is your personal treasure trove.” 

“Perceptive little thing, aren't you?” she chuckled. 

Taehyun could easily guess what was happening. Mermaids were not as gentle as people made them out to be. They liked to cause destruction wherever they went, and they were notorious for collecting items from those that they scam. This cave must be her hidden treasure chest of mementos from the many years of living here on this side of the sea. 

“You do realize that i'm not happy with you finding this place, right? You should understand where i'm coming from, being a fox spirit. We are territorial creatures, you and I,” she spoke to yeonjun. 

“Don't rope me in with you,” yeonjun hissed, his foxfire growing around them. 

Taehyun was only half paying attention to them, looking around the cave at all the treasures. The void’s magic is around here, but it isn't strong enough to indicate that the key was here in this exact place. His eyes flicked over to the mermaid, sensing a strong lingering of the magic around her. She must have been around the key or close by it at one point in her life. Whether she was aware of it or not, taehyun wasn't sure. What he was sure about was that this was another dead end. 

He gently tugged on yeonjun’s robes, gaining his attention. “It’s not here hyung. We are close, but I think it's further out to sea.” 

The mermaid’s attention shifted to taehyun. She studied him quietly for a few seconds, and then offered again. “How about you? Do you want your fortune told? It's the least i can do for you after finding this place that no one was able to find,” she shrugged.

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, but he was always a curious fox. 

“Sure-”

“No thanks-” 

Yeonjun and Taehyun both said at the same time. They looked at each other and yeonjun gave him that pout that Taehyun was quickly coming to realize is his way of getting what he wants. 

“Aw come on taehyunnie! I wanna know my fortune! Don't you think that would be so much fun?!” 

Taehyun ran a hand down his wet face in exhaustion. Obviously yeonjun wasn’t as stupid as he made himself out to be all the time, so he must have another motive for agreeing easily to get his fortune told. “Fine, let's get this over with,” he gave in. yeonjun jumped with happiness and then hissed over at the mermaid. He really was unpredictable. 

“The mage goes first,” the mermaid smirked, knowing it irritated yeonjun for being ignored. 

Taehyun and yeonjun stepped closer, and then she held out a hand for taehyun to take. Her nails were painted the same bright red as her lips. Taehyun held her hand, waiting to see what happened and trusting yeonjun next to him in case things turned bad. 

She closed her eyes and was silent for a few seconds, and then opened them back up and stared at taehyun in a way that made him uncomfortable. 

“Such a shame,” she said in mock sympathy, shaking her head at taehyun. “Constantly searching, but never able to find what you are looking for.” taehyun tensed immediately, yeonjun glancing at him briefly with a flicker of confusion and maybe worry. 

“What is it that you know?” taehyun said calmly, giving nothing away to the inner turmoil of his emotions by just that one statement. 

She shrugged, letting go of taehyun’s hand. “Your heart aches and yearns so desperately for it, I can hear it without touching your hand,” she chuckled. Taehyun gritted the back of his teeth together, but otherwise he showed no reaction to just how accurate she truly was. 

“Ok me next,” yeonjun cut in, hoping the distraction will help ease the tension he can clearly see in taehyun’s smaller frame. 

The fortune teller glanced at yeonjun with a bored face, but reluctantly took his hand. It was safe to say that yeonjun was insulted. 

“Hmm,” she pursed her red lips. She grinned at him, which made yeonjun want to hiss. “What you always have been afraid of...pretty soon you won’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Yeonjun’s upper lip twitched in agitation, but otherwise he said nothing, yanking his hand away. 

“That’s stupid,” he muttered. 

The mermaid clapped her hands, almost like she was getting down to business. “I'm assuming you both know that i can't let you leave this place alive now that you have found it, so if you would just be kind and stand still, this will be over in a moment-” she began to say, heading straight for taehyun in a flash, her nails shaped into points. 

Yeonjun was quicker, gripping her hand with a bored look on his face. He saw this coming a million miles away. Honestly, how dumb did she think he was? 

He brought his face really close to the mermaid's, baring his teeth at her in a feral way. “Give me one damn good reason why i shouldn’t pierce your heart right here right now and take everything you have stolen. I'm assuming you disposed of the missing musicians that came looking for their music, as well as anybody else you managed to draw in close to you and trap.”

Taehyun blinked, not even thinking of that. He felt a bit sorry and a little disgusted that so many people have already fallen victim to the mermaid’s charms.

“Because you won't be able to escape this place in time before it comes crashing down on you. My magic is the only thing holding this cave up and the pressure of the tide back,” she snarled, trying to yank her hand away, but without success. 

“I can certainly survive with no problems,” yeonjun argued back. 

“But can the mage?” she said smugly. “He’s barely on the brink of life on a good day. Are you confident enough to manage to bring him back to the water’s surface unscathed?”

Yeonjun snapped his mouth shut, glancing back at taehyun. She got him there, and for once in his life, he wasn't confident in something. There was no way in hell he would risk taehyun’s life like that, not after he finally found him. 

“I have a proposition,” she said, trying again to yank on her hand. Her wrist burned where yeonjun gripped it, his foxfire warning her not to do anything rash. 

“I'm listening,” he hissed. 

“I collect things from people. If you give me something I want, I will let you leave this place unharmed. But in return you must leave me unharmed as well.” 

Yeonjun studied her face closely, weighing his options quickly in his head. He hates to admit it, but that might be his best bet given the circumstances. 

“What do you want?” he asked cautiously. A fox never trusts easily, and he will always be on his guard even when it looks like he isn't. 

“A song,” she said simply, her lips curled in a smile. 

“A...song?” yeonjun asked dumbly. “What song could you possibly want? Because honey, i can sing anything, just give me a genre-”

“Not from you,” she hissed. “From him,” she pointed to taehyun with her other hand. “I want his song.”

“What, is my voice not good enough for you-” yeonjun started to argue, but she cut him off again with a glare. 

“It has to be _his_ song. No one else’s would suffice.”

“Why?” taehyun asked. He was genuinely curious. 

She looked at taehyun deeply, making him feel even more uncomfortable. “Because i need a song that comes from someone longing for love. I need a song from a soul that yearns for it so desperately; from someone who searches for it continuously but is still unable to reach it. I have a hunch you know exactly what that feels like, don't you?” 

Taehyun remained quiet, confirming her hunch and giving her the answer she needed. 

“Fine, i'll do it. I'll sing you a song, as long as you promise to let us go,” he gave in. 

Yeonjun reluctantly let go of her hand when she nodded. “Of course i promise. I never go back on my promises, you both know how binding a promise can be in this world.” 

Yeonjun went back over to Taehyun's side, keeping an eye on the mermaid just in case. 

Taehyun breathed in a calming breath, and then he sang. Yeonjun stayed quiet, noticing how beautiful but heartbreaking taehyun’s voice was. The mage had his face to the rocks beneath his feet, not giving anyone eye contact as he sang a sad song softly on his breath. It was like a lullaby, narrating the feeling of loneliness and a love without closure; a yearning for something that you can never grab onto; a craving so painful you wish you never knew of it. It was a story fated for tragedy.

When taehyun finished, everything was silent. The mermaid had her eyes closed with a content smile on her face, and yeonjun tried to swallow the lump in his throat, holding back tears while doing so. 

He watched taehyun closely, noting the flicker of emotions on his face that he tried to carefully piece back together and hide away. It made yeonjun wonder, what exactly is taehyun searching for? What is he missing that makes him burn with a feeling of hopelessness and such an intense longing?

“That was perfect,” the mermaid whispered. “Nobody’s song could ever compare to yours.”

“What are you going to do with it?” taehyun asked, raising his head back up, his face neutral once more. 

“I'm going to sing this song for everyone at sea,” she smiled. “Remember, you promised to leave me unharmed if I let you go. You can't turn back on your promise.”

Unfortunately, she was right, and yeonjun hissed pettily at her once more just because he could. They needed to get out of there before things had a chance to escalate. He reached for taehyun’s hand and gripped it tight. 

“We are leaving now, old hag,” he said with finality, and then turned and headed back to the opening of the cave. 

“My name is Joy,” she said with a screech right before yeonjun and taehyun dove back into the water and made their way to the surface. 

Yeonjun could care less what her name was. 

***

It was well into the night when they both returned to the beach. The moon was high in the sky and it reflected off of the gentle waves, bathing everything in moonlight and creating an ethereal look. 

“Now what?” yeonjun asked. “We still have two days left before the new moon. We can keep looking for the key.”

Taehyun shook his head. “I think i'm going to return back to the academy empty handed.” 

Yeonjun snapped his head to taehyun, flicking water from his hair onto the sand. “What?! Why? You will be punished by the elders if you don't return with the key, right? Aren't we close?”

Taehyun looked at yeonjun with a sad smile and nodded. “Yeah, we are really close to the key. But i don't think i want to find it anymore. Not for the elders.” 

Yeonjun remained quiet, pursing his lips and not liking the thought of Taehyun being harmed in any way. He was territorial, and taehyun was now under his protection, whether the mage knew it or not. Still, it wasn't his place to dictate how someone should live their life, and so he kept his mouth shut despite wanting to talk taehyun out of it. 

The mage looked out into the ocean, feeling the familiar pull guide him to somewhere so far it would be impossible to get there by simply swimming. The void’s magic is close, but not close enough. 

Taehyun sighed, looking down at the sand, watching the waves erase his footprints from earlier. It isn't here. He knew it wouldn't be here. The key is probably lost many miles below the ocean, waiting for the right time to be found. 

Instead, Taehyun picks up a seashell as a souvenir of this place he traveled to. 

To him, it symbolizes a coming of something important. His own hope manifested that he will eventually find what he's been searching for his whole life. 

After a few more moments of practically feeling the emotions radiating off of the person next to him, Taehyun sighed, understanding yeonjun’s feelings. The fox was like an open book right now. "Even if I were to somehow make it to the middle of the ocean and find the key, I wouldn't be able to use it. Not properly. I'm not someone born from the void, it isn't my place to touch what isn't mine." 

"But I can probably touch the ancient magic from the void," yeonjun pointed out. "I was granted life from one of the gods themselves so I'm not your ordinary fae." 

Taehyun shook his head again, reaching out to link his arm with yeonjun’s. "You might be right, hyung, but please trust me on this one. Yes, it's true I may have found one of the keys to the gates, but it's still not the right time for it to make an appearance. There is a reason the key did not reveal itself to me. That must not be one of the keys we have to locate." 

Yeonjun looked at taehyun with confusion. "I still don't get how your magic of finding things works." 

Taehyun smiled, leaning his head on yeonjun’s shoulder, exhausted from using his magic so much. Yeonjun wrapped an arm around him and tried to rub his back to warm him up. It helped, but it still wasn't warm enough for taehyun. 

"It's hard to explain, hyung. My magic goes in many different directions. I can find anything in this world if I try hard enough and use up my magic. But my instincts tell me what I _need_ to find, not what I _want_ to find. If that makes sense?"

"Kind of?" Yeonjun rested his cheek on top of taehyun's head. 

"For example," taehyun huffed out a shivering breath. "I _wanted_ to find this key so that I can return it to the elders and possibly spare my own life. And I did it. I might have possibly found one of the keys way out there in the ocean. But my instincts are now telling me this is not something I _need_ to find. It wouldn't be right if I unearthed all of this world's treasures at my own whim. Things are meant to be hidden, and for good reason. When the time is right, they will reveal themselves to the ones that are meant to find them. Do you understand now? I should never abuse my magic like that. I should never use it for my own gain. If I do, I'm afraid of what might happen. I'm afraid of what I might lose..." He whispered that last part.

“Okay….okay i get it. We will stop looking for this key if that is what your magic is telling you to do. But how about this? You should come with me," yeonjun offered. "But of course only if you want to," he added in quickly, remembering that he was still technically a stranger to taehyun, even if it wasn’t that way for him. 

Taehyun’s heart warmed at his words. "I can't hyung, at least not right now. I still have something I need to do.” 

Yeonjun was going to argue, but the determination in taehyun's voice stopped him. "Ok, when you finally finish, then will you join me?" 

Taehyun smiled, happy beyond belief. "Yeah, I think I will. Hyung, thank you so much for everything. I don't even know how i can repay you for all that you did."

His words were genuine and yeonjun smiled happily, leaning away to look taehyun in the eyes. “You don't have to repay me for anything. Just promise to come back to me, ok?”

Taehyun began to nod his head, but then he thought of an even better idea. “I know! I will find something for you, something you have been searching for.”

Yeonjun frowned. “But i'm not searching for anything in particular. Don't waste your magic on me.”

However, taehyun was no longer listening to him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he _needed_ to do this for yeonjun, his instincts and magic were telling him to. 

Taehyun stepped away from yeonjun, giving himself space on the beach. “Don't worry hyung, this will only take a moment. Trust me on this, okay?” 

Yeonjun nodded, watching the look of determination in taehyun’s eyes. His irises began to glow a bright hazel and a star pentagram formed under his feet, slowly burning like fire into the sand. His eyes unfocused and took on a hazy and distant look. Yeonjun has never seen magic like this before, and he was even more surprised when the same star pentagram formed in the center of the dark pupil of taehyun’s left eye. Strong magic swirled around the both of them, bathing them in a warm light. 

The star in taehyun’s eye showed him what he needed to see, what he needed to find. 

_He saw a tunnel deep within the mountains, leading to a cavern that was long forgotten. Flowers blazing with fire decorated the walls and earth all around.  
_ _Past the tunnel, past the huge rock carved with the same flower that blocked the entrance, was a pair of eyes that gleamed violet-black in the dark._

Taehyun gasped as the magic began to leave him, and he dropped to the sand tired beyond belief. He was shivering and barely registered yeonjun kneeling in front of him and reaching out to cradle him in his arms. 

“That was stupid, taehyunnie. You shouldn't have used your magic as strongly as you did. Don't do that ever again, you hear me?” 

“Go to the mountains in the far west, in the next land over. Deep beneath the earth is a cavern sealed away and long forgotten. It holds something precious to you; something that you need to find,” taehyun whispered.

That was all the information that taehyun could get for him, and he curled himself into yeonjun’s arms for just a little longer while he tried to warm back up. 

Yeonjun was totally confused. “Something precious to me? But i don't hold anything precious; i've been by myself since the moment i was created, and that has been for a very long time now.” 

Taehyun didn't answer him, and once he felt a little bit better, he leaned away from yeonjun and stood back up. “It's time for me to go hyung.”

Yeonjun didn't like the sound of that, and he was sad to see taehyun go. "But how will I be able to meet you again? I have no way of contacting you." 

Taehyun smiled at him. "Don't worry about that hyung. I'll be able to find you, no problem. And when I do, I'll join you guys. Ok?" 

Yeonjun nodded, believing in him. "Ok, sure. That sounds like a plan," he grinned, feeling a little bit better. He just has to wait a little longer. 

The smile never left yeonjun’s face as he watched the young mage head back to wherever he came from. He really hopes taehyun will come back one day. No, he _knows_ taehyun will come back once he’s finished with what he has to do. 

The smile stayed upon his lips, until Taehyun's final words finally seemed to settle and click in yeonjun’s mind.

His smile slipped.

_'You guys?'_

Why was that plural? 

***

Taehyun sighed, trying to enjoy himself before the inevitable meeting with the elders happened tomorrow morning. It was currently the night of the new moon, and as promised a celebration was held in woojin’s honor for being chosen as the next commander of the werewolves. 

The lantern festival was gorgeous. The entire castle and the surrounding grounds were decorated with bright lights. Every dark corner was lit up with beautiful firelight. Some of the fires were natural and some made from magic. There were bonfires, and small strings of colored fire bulbs, and even burning flowers that lined the paths of cobblestone and dirt, releasing their blazing petals like fireflies into the nighttime air. Fireworks were being set off on occasion, there was loud music all over, and plenty of food. Taehyun smiled sadly at it all, missing yeonjun even though it's only been two days since he last parted ways with him. No doubt about it, yeonjun would be upset he was missing out on all of this food and dancing. 

Mages of every type and year came together to perform wonderful and artistic displays of their magic. The other creatures of the day showcased their own talents, crowding the entire place no matter where you went. It was hard to move around with how many people were there. 

It was certainly a time to be happy and carefree, but there was still a heavy weight on taehyun’s heart. How can he enjoy himself, if he has nobody to enjoy it with? 

When the highlight of the evening’s events started to begin, taehyun grabbed his paper sky lantern and used a small bit of magic to light the center of it on fire. Everyone’s lantern was a different shape and size, but his happened to be in the shape of a flower. He walked to the grassy hill where everyone was gathering, and as tradition, he made a hopeless wish with the rest of the creatures of the day. 

Without hesitating, taehyun let go of the burning flower lantern, letting it get lost among the hundreds of others around it. Everyone cheered and laughed, watching with awe as the sky was lit up with a warm fiery glow. 

He could care less.

Taehyun looked back into the crowd once he finished releasing his glowing lantern into the sky. He thinks it's pointless watching it drift off until he can't see it anymore. It's almost heartbreaking watching something so beautiful disappear from his sight. He just doesn't get why everyone else enjoys it.

His eyes couldn't help but scan the people around him, flicking over faces he has seen before but never bothered to get to know or remember despite being among them for years. 

As he shifted his line of vision, beginning to turn around and look away, his eyes locked gazes with someone else’s in the crowd. 

Taehyun’s heart skipped a beat, and he sucked in a slight breath of air. This person's eyes were red, there was no mistake on what that indicated even from all of this distance between them. 

_A demon._

Taehyun knows he should probably do something, perhaps call for help, or cast a spell and eliminate the threat. However, he made no move to do either of those things. He was frozen in his spot, studying the demon with wide hazel eyes. Time seemed to slow down, people passing by and not paying attention to the breathless moment that was making taehyun’s heart beat wildly in his chest and his head feel like it was being submerged under water.

The demon was pretty, no... _beyond_ pretty. He was stunning. He had grey-blonde hair that reflected the flames from the floating lanterns, making it glow a warm silver. He had piercing eyes framed with dark lashes, his lips full and tinted a pale blush. His skin was like flawless porcelain, his face small and jaw angular. He was tall, like taehyun, but maybe slightly taller. Even though his entire figure seemed delicate and almost feminine, taehyun has no doubt there was unmatched strength and raw power bubbling underneath the surface. This was a high ranking demon, the red eyes a clear giveaway if nothing else was. 

Taehyun doesn't doubt this demon could probably snap him in two, effortlessly if he so wished. 

However, the demon did not attack. He did not kill. He just stood there, staring into taehyun’s eyes with such a heavy interest, a burning intensity that seemed to heat taehyun’s entire body up from the inside out. Taehyun was enraptured, he couldn't look away. 

Taehyun’s heart was still beating wildly in his chest, almost like it was trying to desperately tell him something:

_Finally._

_Over there._

_We found what we have been searching for all this time, and it's right over there._

Unconsciously, taehyun took a tiny step forward in the direction of the demon. His hands were shaking and clammy, his head pounding, his pulse racing, and his heart erratically beating. 

He wants to get closer. _Needs_ to get closer.

The flames of the firelight flickered all around them, and taehyun took another step. 

He blinked. The demon was fading away, blending in with the shadows of the firelight. 

For the first time in taehyun’s life, he panicked. He started moving, trying to get closer to the demon in the crowd. 

_He wasn't going to make it._

He shoved past the other mages, the other creatures of day that separated him from what he has been looking for his whole life. 

He was almost there, his eyes never leaving the demon’s. 

He reached out a hand and...

Nothing.

His hand passed through... _nothing._

Taehyun’s face remained blank as he looked down at his empty fingers, the ghost of warmth leaving a tingling feeling across his skin. He curled his fingers delicately into a fist, a crushing feeling weighing down on his chest once more, this time even worse than he has ever experienced. He secretly wants to cry.

After a few more agonizing moments, Taehyun can feel it again. The constant need to keep searching, to keep _looking_. 

His skin went cold, the warmth fading quickly and being replaced with the harsh feeling of getting pricked by millions of icicles. He's always cold, and he hates it.

When will he find that irreplaceable warmth he's always craved?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Song of the Lost Island (chijima no uta)" by Nao Toyama.


	4. I Will Vow Upon This Song

_A soul that lives on forever is lonely._

_So I will continue to wander, looking to the sky and praying for the day I finally meet you._

*********************************

Why is it that there can never be one true definition of the word ‘beautiful’? It is a word that is constantly changing. It differs from the perspective; from the person who is describing it to you. Something plain, insignificant, to most people could be something breathtaking in the eyes of another. 

And it could be the complete opposite. Something extravagant and flamboyant could be perceived as boring and mediocre. 

Take for example this exact moment. 

Some demons prefer colorful lights, some prefer vibrant ones. Hell, you might even find one particular demon in the demon realm who loves and adores a blue light that shines so bright, it can be seen for miles even in the ugly red and ashen sky. 

Yes its true, those lights are pretty, and they certainly have their own charm, but beomgyu doesnt find them _beautiful._ He was never able to find something beautiful. 

Until now.

***

Beomgyu turned his back at the chaotic scene in front of him. He turned a blind eye on what he saw, preferring to hide in the shadows of the demon realm instead of helping. 

_He was a coward, and he knows it._

He played ignorant, blocking out the ear-piercing screeches and wails of the other demons and monsters fighting and killing each other relentlessly. Pretty soon it will be quiet anyways, only one demon emerging as the obvious victor of this battle. 

He knows Seo Changbin will win this round easily, soon eliminating everything in sight. 

Instead of helping those monsters and demons, instead of taking their side and crushing changbin for betraying them, he turned away. 

Yes, Choi Beomgyu was as much of a traitor as changbin, just not as noble. 

Beomgyu sighed, laying on his back and staring up into the abyss above his head. He would like to call it a sky, but there was no ‘sky’ in the demon realm. The place was plagued with areas of darkness, areas of fire, ruthless storms, and a soulless heat. Everywhere you looked, there was dust and decay on the ground, and red mixed with an ashen color that slashed in the space above where the sky is supposed to be. 

It was growing darker above him as the days went by, soon another new moon will appear in the mortal realm. The demons are growing agitated as the hours passed. However, this upcoming new moon isn’t like all the others. Its weaker, and the veil is harder to cross through. It would be wise to wait until the next new moon when it is strong and the veil is almost non-existent. 

But beomgyu guesses some demons are overconfident and can't wait properly. They are fools, all of them. Why waste their energy on something so pointless? Dont they know that their chances of success are much greater on the next new moon? 

Demons need a lot of magical energy to leave the void. How they obtain this magical energy can vary in several different ways. The most common was stealing souls from the grim reapers and harnessing the energy of a human. Then there were the demons who take the magical energy directly from magical creatures, particularly creatures of the day.

But the most rewarding source of magical energy was when it was taken from a _mage._ Mages harness the most potent of magic. Their magical energy could feed a demon for years up in the mortal realm, allowing them to wreak all sorts of havoc before running out of power and returning to the void. This particular reason is why the demons and mages have been at war with each other for centuries. 

However, one specific demon did it in a completely different way than the others down here. Changbin didnt steal souls, or kill mages. He simply killed other monsters and demons that are some of the most treacherous found in his realm, and then harnesses their energy for himself.

Quite ambitious, if you asked beomgyu. Because of this, changbin was branded a traitor and hated among their kind. Everyone knows of him, many have tried to defeat him, and none can even compare to him in skill. 

Like beomgyu and a few select others, changbin is a high ranking demon in the demon realm. They are all extremely strong and nothing to laugh at, but changbin is one of the strongest, even more-so than beomgyu if he had to admit it. It's not that beomgyu and the other demons are weak (ok, _some_ demons are pretty pathetic), it's just that changbin has something the others do not possess:

Changbin has desperation coursing through his veins, pushing him forward to keep going, place one foot in front of the other and never quit. He has a set destination in mind, and nothing will ever stop him from reaching it. 

Beomgyu would be lying if he said he wasn't secretly jealous.

He placed his arms behind his head, staring up at the smog thicken sky, watching the many lights blink in and out of the orangey haze. None of these lights appeal to him, no matter how much they glow. He doesnt want any of them, he doesnt _need_ help. He’s too prideful to admit that he might have to rely on one of those lights in order to live in the mortal realm for eternity. He prefers to spend his time down here in the demon realm just staring up above him and watching the lights gently floating within the sky of smoke and ash. 

In the distance, he can see the blue light that changbin so greatly cherishes. He sees changbin endlessly protect this light, care for it and adore it like its the most precious thing in the entire universe. Beomgyu just doesnt get it. Why would someone like changbin throw away his life and declare himself a traitor just for a bright blue light like that? What was so great about it? Who was so beautiful to him that they managed to capture the heart and loyalty of a demon?

And so beomgyu lays there, watching the lights swirl around in the demon realm. Some glow really bright, and some dim until they flicker out. He can see the lavender looking light that another demon, Choi San, has always had his eye on. So many different shapes, so many different sizes. There are extravagant ones, unique ones, lights of all different colors, the list goes on and on. 

Really, what is it that makes them look so beautiful to the others? Sure, beomgyu can see how pretty they are to look at. To some, those lights are like food. Those demons have greedy and dark hearts ready to destroy the lights, to _take_. To others, like changbin, those lights mean everything to them, almost like a missing piece of their soul was somehow ripped away when the void created them. 

Beomgyu’s eyes darted back and forth from one light to another. No two lights were the same. Some were flashy and flamboyant, catching the attention of demons from miles away. Some were boring, plain and dull, unwanted. For years beomgyu spent his time studying the makeshift sky, watching these lights twinkle and glitter. For years his eyes glazed over, not giving them much thought. 

It wasn't until the night of a new-moon that he finally stopped in his footsteps. It was a weak new-moon, a rare moment in the year of the mortal realm and hardly warranting the energy and effort it would take to cross the veil, not that it would stop some of the more arrogant demons. The demon realm became eerily dark and black. It was quiet and unsettling, giving him unnecessary anxiety and a feeling of neverending loneliness. He was wandering through this darkness, ignoring the occasional growl or shout from something in the distance. He kicked up some dust under his boots, letting the dry wind take it and scatter the small particles around his body. He watched as the dust and sand disappeared into the unending night, a frown on his face. 

Beomgyu began to turn his head away, when something flashed in the corner of his eye. He stopped in his footsteps and tilted his head in curiosity up at the shadowy space. 

There, all by itself, was a small light that seemed to flicker quietly, isolated from the others. It wasnt grand, it wasn’t necessarily unique. But it caught beomgyu’s eye anyways. 

It was shaped like a pretty flower in bloom, it’s petals splayed out for anyone to see if you were looking close enough. It burned with a soft and warm glow, drawing beomgyu nearer to it like a moth to a flame. He wanted to get closer so badly. 

Today was a weak new-moon, the sky dingy and overcast with black. The days when the moon is gone are very important to his kind. The lights that coated the sky now twinkle so bright like stars, so pretty and vibrant. All of the demons lay in wait for the witching hour, the hour that the veil to the mortal realm weakens the most. Technically the veil is not at its weakest on this new-moon, so it would be completely meaningless for beomgyu to cross it and venture into the mortal realm. It would be smart to wait until the true new-moon of the month to spend the energy to travel dimensions. But for some reason he wants to see this light in person tonight.

Beomgyu continued to stare at that lonesome light, way up high in the sky. His mind began to fill with questions.

Why was it all by itself? 

How long has it been there, hiding within the darkness? 

Why didn’t he notice this one before?

Beomgyu’s heart pounded heavily in his chest as he watched the light shine softly like a candle in a darkened room. Suddenly, a strong desire overwhelmed him, the desire to take care of this candle, this small, weak, and dim flower. He wants to protect it from everything bad in this world, cradle it in his arms so that nothing could extinguish this gentle and very fragile flame.

Little did beomgyu know, you always need a great darkness in order to see the smallest of lights. 

Beomgyu’s red irises reflected the delicate flame that was secluded from all the others among the dark sky, unwanted by the rest of the demons, and to him it was... _beautiful._

***

Yeonjun sighed, entering a new town, another village, still alone. This time it was far west from where he last was with taehyun two days ago. Tonight was the night of the first new-moon in this month, and he worried about the mage. Is he doing okay? Did he make it back alright? When will he get to see him again? He already misses taehyun’s steady and calming presence. 

The sun would be setting in just a short hour, so yeonjun quickly scanned the streets of the market, picking the place to perform. He needs somewhere open, somewhere many eyes can be drawn to his presence. 

Honestly, he doesnt even know why he came here. Taehyun pointed in this general direction, and it was easy enough to cross the land in such a short amount of time due to his ability to hop between veils, but still, there was nothing special except lots of trees and plants, and the occasional townsfolk passing by after a hard day of labor. The air was fresh up here in the mountains, the grass as green as he’s ever seen it, and the weather was perfect. It wasn’t too hot, but not too cold. There were plenty of animals, and did he mention the bugs? He scrunched his nose up at the current flying insect trying to come for his face. He almost released a petty hiss at it as he swatted it away with his hand. 

Yeonjun prepared himself for performing, first talking to the townsfolk and other merchants and performers on the busy dirt road that led through the center of town. It didnt escape his notice how all of the food stalls were making something delicious, and ok maybe he swiped a few things here and there without anyone seeing. His fingers were quick and skilled, and before anybody judges him, he always makes sure to leave behind a few coins in compensation for the food he takes! He was far classier and too prideful to be known as a petty thief. 

As the fox spirit passed the common folk in the street, he couldn't help but quirk his lips into his familiar sly smirk. His sensitive hearing could pick on the whispers and looks of admiration from those around him. He was tall, taller than most males, and he knew he was beautiful. His hair color alone was a dead giveaway that he was something not quite of this world, along with the fact that he moves with a grace and elegance that rivaled no other. He was light on his feet and agile. You will never catch him stumbling like a common creature of the day or even creature of the night. He was special, and he was not afraid to show it. 

Yeonjun glided up to the nearest merchant, an older woman who he has no doubt he will be able to charm within seconds of talking to her. He tapped her shoulder gently and waited for her to turn around. He pretended not to notice her slight intake of breath when she finally laid eyes on his face, having to look up into his rust colored irises. 

“Excuse me, maam, i think i might need some help. You see, I am visiting this town briefly and wanted to know where and when the night market opened. I'm a performer and would love to dance tonight for a few extra coins,” he smiled at the old woman. 

She seemed a bit dazed for a few moments, and yeonjun patiently waited as she snapped herself out of it, blinking a few times to no doubt clear her mind. 

“Ah, young man. You must have not known, we dont hold a night market in this town anymore. We havent had one in almost ten years. Once the sun sets and dusk starts to fall, we shut ourselves up tight for the night, and its best that you do too. It would be a shame to see that pretty face of yours come to harm,” she tsked, shaking her head sadly. 

Now this was news to yeonjun. “No night market? Why not? And why would i be harmed for staying after dark?” he asked one question after another, genuinely curious. He was always curious, that was just a part of his nature. 

She glanced around nervously, making sure no one else was listening, and then she motioned for yeonjun to lean down closer so she wouldnt have to talk as loud. Not that she would have had to talk loudly to begin with, he could pick up even the softest of murmurs with his ears. But still, he obliged and bent within a few inches from her face. He could hear her heart skip a beat slightly, and tried not to grin. 

“Son, it was terrible. There used to be a great vampire clan deep in the mountains right next to our town here. They were a constant threat to us, always looming nearby. We arent stupid, we know how they like to feed. About ten years ago, the clan just...vanished. Every last one of them. We were told that one of the vampires betrayed his fellow brethren, murdering them all in the middle of the night,” she paused to see if yeonjun was still listening. 

He nodded, indicating for her to continue. He still doesnt get what this has to do with the night market, but he was polite so he will entertain her for a few more minutes. 

“This vampire killed every single one of them, and he didnt even have to touch them. He can look into a person’s eyes and they immediately die of fright. Thankfully, a great shaman helped seal the vampire deep within the mountain so that he can never see another person again. However, on nights like this, when the new-moon is upon us, a deathly darkness travels from the mountain and kills anyone who walks through it. We’ve lost too many people to the sealed vampire for us to risk going out.”

Yeonjun stood up straight again, super confused. A vampire that can kill with one look, and the ability to snatch people away in the darkness? That's a bit weird if you asked him. Vampires shouldn't have that kind of ability. Terrible creatures of the night, yes; but creatures with the power to manipulate the things around them, no.

“Are you sure this story is true?” he asked the woman with disbelief. 

She laughed lightly at the look on his face. “Yes, my dear, it is. We live in constant fear that one day this vampire will break free from the shaman’s seal and destroy the rest of us that live on this mountain. He will one day kill all of us, and there’s nothing we can do about it.” 

An idea was forming in yeonjun’s mind. A pretty smile began to creep up on his lips as he looked at the woman. 

“What if I said I can help you get rid of this threat on your town? Would you and your fellow villagers be willing to give me a reward?” 

Now, it's true that yeonjun has a kind heart. But he also has to make a living in this world. He’s not afraid to put his skills to use and milk everything he can out of the people he helps. And getting rid of some dumb vampire is worth a pretty penny. 

The woman’s eyes sharpened at yeonjun, and her infatuation for him began to slowly dwindle. Yes, yeonjun was a trickster, but a fair one. She was starting to realize his true nature, and the enchantment he had on her before was going away. This happened to everyone whom he meets and eventually gets to know. He might look beautiful and elegant on the outside, but inside he was just like a fox: sly, cunning, and never loyal. He will do what benefits him most in order to live to the next day. 

“What kind of price are you asking in exchange for your help?” she asked cautiously. 

Yeonjun shrugged his shoulders, his silken silver robes swaying with the action. He put on an innocent enough face for the woman, although he doubts she will fall for it a second time. “Nothing much, maybe some free room and board, and all the food i could want while i stay in town.”

It was a fair enough request. He could have asked for a lot worse. He wasn't _that_ bad of a trickster. 

She considered it for a moment, and then nodded her head. “Alright. If what you say is true, then I will talk with the other townsfolk and grant your price. But only if you manage to get rid of the vampire that causes the darkness. Only if you promise no one else will go missing in the night. 

“Yes ma'am!” he laughed a nasally laugh. She frowned at him, but turned so that she could go and talk with a few other merchants on the street. Yeonjun assumed he was dismissed from her presence. 

Cracking his neck and stretching out his arms, he turned his body towards the dark and looming forest that led deeper into the mountain. It looks like it was going to be a long night. 

***

The entire surrounding area was pitch black, making being able to see in front of him near impossible. It was quiet, too quiet, and certainly not in the peaceful kind of way. The silence grated on yeonjun’s sensitive hearing almost as bad as a noisy room full of people would. 

However, yeonjun wasn't like your typical creature of this mortal realm. He was part fae after all, and so he was nimble and confident enough to navigate through the trees, vines, and other plants that have overgrown and continuously seem to block his way. In fact, the growth of vegetation was beyond excessive, even for this forest that hasn't been touched in ten years, and he was getting irritated. 

The darkness also wasn't natural. It was definitely made by a creature of the night, to which it still needed to reveal itself to yeonjun. Perhaps it really was the highly feared vampire that was doing all this? 

As yeonjun wandered deeper into the mountain, he noticed small orbs of light drifting through the trees every now and then. He glanced at the lights, snorting and rolling his eyes, then dismissing them. They were harmless enough...to him at least. 

What, now the vampire can summon will-o-the-wisps too? That’s a far stretch, even for yeonjun. 

After what seemed like forever, yeonjun finally had to stop in the mountain. He looked around him, glaring at the plants with impatience. This was getting beyond weird. 

The plants were not letting him through, and even small creatures of the forest were now getting in his way. For heaven’s sake, a _bunny_ was hissing and spitting at him from the bushes, it’s eyes gleaming in the dark. 

“What the hell?” yeonjun muttered, trudging forward and ripping vines out of his way. He snatched his hand back with a hiss when a squirrel dropped down from a tree and bit him. Then he turned to his left abruptly, a _deer_ growling at him. 

Were all these animals rabid? And why were they out so late at night anyways?

He took a few steps forward in the direction where the darkness was strongest, and a chipmunk dropped down like a fucking ninja smack into yeonjun’s face, clawing at his cheeks a few times before yeonjun grabbed it by the scruff and flung it somewhere in the woods. He panted heavily at the adrenaline this caused him, and he quickly decided to hurry his steps to what he assumed was the place the vampire was sealed. The sooner he gets this over with, the better. The animals were bat-shit crazy in this forest and he has no idea why. 

Yeonjun leaned against the rock wall, bent over and panting to catch his breath. He was beyond exhausted, and quite honestly, it has been the weirdest night for him. In the span of a few hours, he was attacked by every single forest critter you can think of, yes including the birds which are supposed to be asleep. The creepy insects even went crazy, and he pretty much got a mouthful of a moth’s fuzzy ass at one point in his adventure. Oh yeah, and did he mention that the plants seemed to have a mind of their own, and basically attempted to murder him a few times? He couldn't forget that part. 

But yeonjun wasn't a quitter. 

And so he stomped on every single flower that got in his way, and smiled with glee as he let the moths and mosquitoes fly into and burn in his blue foxfire. 

Once he managed to get his heartbeat back under control, he stood up and stared at the rock wall before him. It was barricaded with tons of vines and ivy, so he gripped it and set it aflame. 

He smirked as the plants turned to ash before him. No place could keep out a fox spirit. He can get into anything through his sheer determination alone. 

Yeonjun blinked at the rock wall before him, surprised at what he saw. Engraved into the mountain was a seal of some kind. This must be where the shaman imprisoned this horrible and frightening vampire. The magic around it was insanely strong and there were tons of magical barriers from this point onward. He has no doubt that it was going to take some time to unseal each and every single one of them in order to reach the monster that was locked inside. 

It might be tough, but it wasn't impossible for yeonjun. So he nonchalantly, shrugged his shoulder and got to work, pressing his hand against the seal and using his fox-fae magic to undo the spells that were so carefully woven together to keep this ugly creature inside and everyone else outside. 

___

Yeonjun finally made it past all of the barriers on the outside and carefully stepped into the dark tunnel in front of him, slowly beginning his descent down into the mountain. He could sense powerful magic down here as well, the darkness having a mind of its own.

The air was damp, musky and unused, probably from being stagnant and untouched for almost ten years. Yeonjun almost sneezed right away from breathing it in. It was also really difficult to see, even for him, and so he lit the place up with his blue foxfire, letting it swirl protectively around his body and show him the way. 

Yeonjun traveled maybe a few miles underground in the mountain, following the narrow tunnel until he finally stepped to the end, standing in front of an entrance that was sealed off with a huge stone boulder that raised higher than he was tall. Whatever was behind that stone boulder must be truly dangerous and horrifying. This all seemed like a bit much, even for yeonjun. 

The fox spirit also noted that there were talismans stuck to every inch of the place, leaving a prickling feeling on yeonjun’s skin. However, he made it this far, so he cant turn back now. He easily destroyed the talismans by swiping them off the rock walls and lighting them up on fire. Once they were cleared out of his way, he studied the stone blocking the entrance more closely. His foxfire increased in intensity and lit up the area so he could see better. 

Yeonjun gently traced his fingers along the carvings in the stone. It was in the shape of some kind of flower, a strong magical seal that is near impossible for anyone of ordinary magic to break. 

_Well, here goes nothing._

His foxfire licked and traveled along the lines of the engraved flower seal, until it overwhelmed it and cracked the rock, revealing what was inside. 

Yeonjun stepped forward into the sealed cavern once the dust and debris cleared, and then he sucked in a sharp breath. 

A pair of glinting violet eyes stared back at him. The light from his fox fire reflected off the room, illuminating the figure before him. 

He was _beautiful._ Black hair and violet eyes. Obviously a vampire who hasn't had blood for quite some time. 

The vampire stared back at yeonjun with curiosity, not at all bothered that someone literally came crashing into his prison. He was kneeling in the dirt and resting on the backs of his thighs. His hands were bound behind his back with chains that emitted strong magical energy. More chains crisscrossed along the front of his chest and around his thighs. Yeonjun has no doubt the chains wrapped around his ankles too, but the vampire was sitting on them while kneeling. 

Yeonjun reluctantly looked away from the gorgeous vampire and widened his eyes at the stone cavern wall behind him. 

It was...horrifyingly breathtaking. 

Talismans were all over the wall, each of them placed together to form a pattern of the same flower from all the other seals. It was no doubt a binding spell of high magnitude. 

Yeonjun glanced back and forth from the vampire to the wall of talismans, to the chains, and back to the vampire. 

Just what exact crimes did he commit to be locked away to this extent? 

Yeonjun unknowingly stepped into the room. Immediately the paper talismans lit ablaze behind the vampire, burning an image of a flower engulfed in flames across the wall.

The vampire winced, his chains also heating up with the same seal on each and every single chain link, burning where it touched his skin. 

Yeonjun honestly felt bad. It would seem this room has a self destruct spell built into it. Yeonjun guesses if anyone entered or if the vampire tried to leave, it would activate and destroy him and the room. 

Yeonjun needs to act fast.

He glanced at the vampire, sizing him up and debating on how to get rid of him. The vampire merely kept quiet, looking back at yeonjun and no doubt sizing him up as well. 

“What’s your name?” yeonjun asked, but was met back with silence except the crackling of the fire around them. It was also starting to get extremely hot in the earthen prison. 

Yeonjun rolled his eyes at the way the vampire obviously ignored him, despite yeonjun already having an idea of what his name was. After all, he said it with his own two lips in the visions he was granted to see of the future. “Mine is Choi Yeonjun,” he told the vampire, who continued to blink at him with a strong gaze. 

Yeonjun finally huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I honestly don't see any way out of this predicament that could benefit the both of us. Either i let you burn alive and save myself before the magical fire burns me too, or i strike a deal with you and then risk the chance of you betraying me since you are so dangerous and whatever else you did,” yeonjun babbled, waving his hand around at all the fire that is currently trailing along the cavern walls and perimeter of the small place. 

The vampire finally showed a sign of life, snuffing out a snort at yeonjun’s casual rambling. Yeonjun’s sharp eyes narrowed in on the vampire’s lips, noting how pretty they were. They weren’t common, curving up slightly at the corners naturally and giving them an extra puffy look. Very inviting, yeonjun supposes, for his prey. Vampires were built to be gorgeous, each one different to attract different types of living food. 

Yeonjun was not afraid to admit that this vampire was probably born with his certain looks and features to attract someone like himself. 

Ok, so this was yeonjun’s round-about way of saying that he was highly attracted to the vampire, but that was all! What? He can appreciate a good looking face even if he was a supposed psycho murderer. 

The vampire answered yeonjun, his voice slightly deep, soft, and soothing. The sound of it sent a shiver of pleasure down yeonjun’s spine, which he blatantly ignored, for obvious reasons.

“What if i said i wasn't dangerous? Would you believe me and free me from this place?”

Yeonjun scoffed, his stubborn streak coming out. “I would say you are obviously lying.” 

Soobin smirked at that. “We are the same, you and I. Everybody lies. People lie even to themselves in order to hide their deepest fears. Isn't it fascinating?” he asked, his eyes sparkling so adorably. 

Yeonjun gulped, not liking the vampire’s words. Yeonjun remained silent while soobin continued to stare at the fox with such a heated intensity, almost as if he is able to dissect every little thing going on inside yeonjun’s mind. 

Then soobin’s lips formed into a sweet and compassionate smile. He tilted his head to the side, his dark black bangs falling into his piercing eyes. The action shouldn’t look so endearing to yeonjun. 

“I'm curious,” soobin began. “What kind of fears are _you_ unable to wake up from? What kind of lies do you continuously tell yourself? I want to know it all,” he purred.

His words were meant to be condescending, they were meant to be frightening, intending to flip yeonjun’s world upside down like he did to so many others before him. However, all it did was piss him off even more. Yeonjun took this as an initiation of a challenge.

Yeonjun gnashed his teeth together, his stubbornness starting to burn deep inside him. He was never one to back down from a challenge. He continued to stare back at the vampire, the first ever to face this person head on, the first to never look away from those violet eyes, the first to never cower at the terrifying truths the vampire forces his victims to face. 

Yeonjun understands now, he understands why soobin was imprisoned and sealed away down here all by himself. Why this soft and precious looking vampire is considered so dangerous to many. 

Well, two can play this game. 

He finally answered soobin back, making this very dangerous and very feared person blink in surprise at him. Yeonjun’s lips quirked up into a wicked smirk, his fox-like eyes flashing with a keen interest in this vampire. 

“I’ll tell you my lies, if you tell me yours.” 

There was another beat of silence and everything in the room was still. They both stared at each other, an obvious battle of wills that yeonjun was determined to win. Until soobin finally smiled a pretty smile, which confused yeonjun for a moment. 

“Yeah, no, i don't think so,” soobin said, getting up from his place at the center of the cavern and charging at yeonjun with incredible speed. He broke the chains that were wrapped around his body, ignoring the slight burns they left on his skin during the process. Since yeonjun activated the seals by stepping inside, the magic that was woven into them was now directed in a new direction of setting everything on fire and trapping soobin and whoever broke the seals. 

Yeonjun only had a moment to blink before the vampire was soon on him. In a flash, yeonjun was pushed into the nearest wall, his foxfire the only thing preventing the rest of the fire from harming him. Soobin had both of his hands held in his own, and yeonjun hated to say it, but soobin was way stronger than he looked. Still, he let his blue flames trail from his hands back to soobin’s before struggling to free himself. He was beyond pissed now. _Nobody_ cages a fox spirit and gets away with it. 

Soobin tried to get yeonjun to look into his eyes, but yeonjun was wise to that trick and avoided eye contact as best he could. 

Soobin may be strong and powerful as a vampire, but yeonjun was agile and fast, and so within a minute he was able to slip out of soobin’s hold and push the vampire to the ground. He tried his best to pin him so that he couldn't move, but soobin was really putting up a good fight. 

“I'm definitely not freeing you now, you little piece of shit. Nobody pins down a fox spirit and gets away with it!” yeonjun snarled at the vampire, still avoiding his gaze cleverly. “My job is to make sure you dont murder anyone else. Who does that anyways? Murders their own people. Why did you do it in the first place?”

Yeonjun frowned, tightening his grip on soobin’s wrists and his thighs on soobin’s legs. 

Now, yeonjun wasn’t as stupid as he would like people to believe. He recognized soobin right away from his visions he was shown a long time ago, just like how he was able to recognize taehyun. However, he just doesn't _get it._ If soobin is so bad, then why was he in his future? Surely the God of Time made a huge mistake, right?

He didn't get much of a chance to ponder these things, because soon the fire started to spread inward toward them, they were almost out of time. 

With a surge of strength, soobin flipped yeonjun off of him, sending the older boy scattering across the ground a foot away from the incoming fire. He glanced at the fire briefly in worry, but then soobin was back on top of him, caging him to the ground with his strong hands. He once again glared at the vampire, not giving him complete eye contact and hating how he was easily shackled for a second time. 

“I didnt murder my clan! They murdered each other, and it was all of the shaman’s fault!” soobin told him desperately. He’s tired of being blamed for something he didn't do. 

“How can i believe you?” yeonjun squinted his eyes at soobin in suspicion while also thinking of a way to break free again. 

“He gained my father’s trust, he spun a web of lies in the hearts and minds of all my people. And then one night, he eliminated them. He let the void’s madness take over and watched as they all tore each other’s throats out. He ripped out the hearts of my father and best friend right in front of my own two eyes. And now he has allied himself with the elders so that he can search for the other keys to the void,” soobin huffed. He shifted both of yeonjun’s wrists into one hand and gripped yeonjun’s chin with the other hand with surprising strength, forcing the fox to look right at him and into his eyes. 

Soobin felt almost sad at what he was about to do. He almost likes this feisty fox spirit, and his scent was incredible, making his mouth water. It was a shame that he was put into a position where he was forced to choose either himself or this incredibly beautiful boy under him. 

“Believe what you want, but i'm not going to sit here and let you accuse me of something i didn't do. I've had a lot of time down here to think about what I want in my life. I’m going to find the shaman, and get my revenge,” soobin told yeonjun calmly. 

Yeonjun struggled even more to break himself free, trying not to let soobin’s gift seep into his heart and mind. He managed to slip one of his hands out of soobin’s and gripped the hand on his chin, tugging with all of his strength. “The shaman is with the elders now, how are you even going to get past the academy’s magical barriers? Not even your gift will help you.” 

Soobin grunted, leaning down extremely close to yeonjun’s face and ignoring the sharp prick of the fox’s claws stabbing into his wrist and hand. “The shaman and elders are after a mage that can find the keys for them. I'm going to try and see if i can get that mage to help me instead before it's too late for all of us.”

Yeonjun went completely still at this, his grip on soobin’s hand loosening. He let his guard down and widened his eyes at what soobin said. 

“Taehyun,” he whispered. Soobin immediately picked up on yeonjun’s growing fear at the mention of this name, and he took his chance while yeonjun was momentarily distracted. He has to get out of here before he’s killed, or they both die, whichever comes first.

Soobin bent over yeonjun until their faces were really close, and he stared deeply into yeonjun’s eyes. Yeonjun was finally caught under the vampire’s spell, unable to break free.

Yeonjun felt like he was suffocating, he felt like his heart was breaking. This is the worst feeling in the world. His mind was crumbling under soobin's gaze, even though his skin felt like it was on fire from soobin’s touch. 

Soobin felt bad for doing this to him. 

Hot tears started to gently stream down yeonjun’s cheeks. He couldn’t help it; he was currently experiencing his worst fears coming to life inside his head. He went quiet and still, unblinking as he continued to stare at soobin but not really see him. 

Soobin breathed in a deep lungful of air, and eased himself away from yeonjun a little bit. He figured it was safe to say that yeonjun will be lost in his mind for a while, if it doesn't kill him. Glancing one last time at the fox’s beautiful face, he gently caressed yeonjun’s cheek, wiping some of the tears away. He wasn't proud of what he did, but he needed to survive. This fox wasn't going to let him live, and so he had to choose himself. 

It was heartbreaking seeing the hyper and energetic fox so still and unmoving. Soobin continued to stare at him, this time with softer eyes. 

And then something unexpected happened. Yeonjun came out of his daze, and he blinked, the tears still coating his eyelashes and cheeks which made him look even more lovely to soobin. 

He glared at soobin, gripping his shirt and pushing up with quick reflexes until their positions were once again reversed, this time yeonjun pinning soobin to the ground. He looked straight at soobin in the eyes, his irises gleaming rust colored. They were beautiful, and so full of life, and righteously _angry._

"Your gift won't work on me," yeonjun hissed out in soobin’s face. “And I believe you, okay?! I believe what you said, so let’s stop fighting already soobin!” 

"But I don't understand, you are obviously afraid," soobin stared at yeonjun in utter shock, not even bothering to fight him anymore. He’s never seen this before. Nobody has ever broken free from his gift. He was so appalled, that he didn't even notice yeonjun’s last statement and how the fox spirit knew his name despite him never telling it to yeonjun. 

"Your gift won't work on me because I _know_ my fears. I accept them as a part of me, and I move forward," yeonjun gritted out between clenched teeth, tightening his grip on soobins shirt and leaning super close so that their faces were within inches of each other. "I know what I'm most afraid of. I know it all too well, and so I don't need you to make me see the reality of it." 

"What are you afraid of?" Soobin whispered, his voice quivering. He wasn't asking so that he could feed on yeonjun’s fears some more, he was asking because he genuinely wanted to know what this gorgeous fox could be so afraid of. He wants to know what fears he has been forced to live with his whole life so that he can soothe them and take them away. 

"I’m afraid of never being loved. I'm afraid of being left behind and forgotten. I don't want to be hated," Yeonjun sniffled, answering him with honesty. 

Soobin’s gaze softened at his admission, and the fight completely left yeonjun. Taking advantage of that, he gently broke free from yeonjun’s grasp and brought his hands up to grip yeonjun’s waist.

"Don't look at me like that," yeonjun whispered. 

"Look at you how?" Soobin whispered back. 

"Like you can see me," yeonjun sniffled again. 

"But I do see you. I feel it too, your fears, and i want to take them away," soobin told him in a low and affectionate voice. 

"A-arent you afraid too?" Yeonjun asked, his face puffy and his lips pouty. He looked closer at soobin, leaning into the vampire and unclenching his fist from his shirt. However, he kept his hand smoothed over soobin’s chest so that he could feel the vampire’s heartbeat. 

"Deathly afraid," soobin said. 

"Of what?" 

"Living this life alone," soobin admitted, his eyes slightly watering. 

"But you aren't alone. You were never alone," yeonjun argued, leaning impossibly closer to soobin to stare at his violet eyes and finding the shade quite pretty. 

"W-what?" Soobin stuttered, his heart fluttering slightly at yeonjun’s proximity. Nobody has looked at his eyes this closely before, not even when he didn't have this gift. He knows the looks of disgust he received when his back was turned. His clan never accepted his violet eyes and what they represented.

"It's true! You were never alone, because I've been looking for you for a long time, maybe even before you were born," Yeonjun smiled big at him, his lips taking on that familiar sly grin. 

Soobin blinked, unsure of what he heard, unsure of this strange feeling coursing through him. 

"You were...looking for me?" He asked, his voice soft and disbelieving. 

Yeonjun nodded his head, gripping soobins shirt in happiness. "yeah! I've been all by myself for a very long time, but I never gave up! I've been waiting patiently for all of you to join me!" 

"All of us?" Soobin repeated, hope starting to curl around his heart and take hold. 

Yeonjun let go of soobin’s shirt, slapping a hand to his mouth. "Ah dammit, I did it again. I just got so excited and couldn't help myself," he babbled. 

Soobin didn't know what he was saying, but it was so cute that he finally smiled and giggled. He brought his arms past yeonjun and wrapped them tight around the fox's frame, crushing him to his chest. 

Yeonjun let out a little "oomf" as he was stuck to soobin.

“You really truly believe i didn't do all of that stuff?” soobin had to ask, just to be sure. 

“Yes,” yeonjun said, his voice muffled. “Now can we get out of here before we burn to a crisp?” 

Soobin immediately let yeonjun go, the fox already up and on his feet in a blink of an eye. “Oh, right. How are we going to get out? The magic that was binding me is now trapping us inside…” he trailed off. Being a vampire that only feeds on fears, he wasn't a whole lot of help in this situation. 

Yeonjun scoffed, glancing at the flames all around them. “Simple, i'm just going to fight fire with fire. My fae magic is obviously superior compared to the parlor tricks of this shaman. He’s not even a full fledged mage. Hell, taehyun would have a field day with this,” yeonjun laughed a nasally laugh. 

“Taehyun?” soobin asked, recognizing the name from earlier. 

“Later, let me concentrate,” yeonjun said to him, his blue foxfire spreading from his body outward. It began to engulf everything, even the orange and yellow flames from the magic used to create and seal this place. 

Soobin pursed his lips into a thin line as he tried to keep calm and watch the blue flames head straight towards him. The flames curled up from his boots to his ankles and swirled around his body. He braced himself for immense pain once the fire engulfed his entire body, squeezing his eyes shut. But then after a few moments of nothing happening, he opened one eye up, finding that he didn't feel a thing. Yeonjun’s blue foxfire was soothing actually, and felt kind of nice; almost as if it was cool to the touch, blocking out the horrible heat from the other fire. He trailed his fingers through it experimentally, his hand easily passing through the flames. 

“My foxfire listens to my command,” yeonjun explained, noticing soobin’s fascination with it. “It will never harm those I do not perceive as a threat. You will always be safe from my flames as long as I wish it.”

That wasn't exactly reassuring to soobin, but for right now it will do. 

Yeonjun reached over and grabbed soobin’s hand, pulling him along. “Let’s go, while my magic is currently overtaking the shaman’s magic.”

Soobin followed him out of the cavern easily, letting himself be pulled along. 

After a few minutes of running, he finally stepped foot to the outside world for the first time in ten years. 

Yeonjun immediately let go of his hand and turned to face the opening to the tunnel. His fire trailed around it, and the earth collapsed in on itself, ensuring that the shaman’s fire stayed inside and no one will ever be able to enter from the outside. 

Soobin wasn't paying attention to yeonjun anymore, eagerly looking around him and frowning. The night air was cool to his face and the grass smelled nice, but something was off. 

“Why is it so dark? It's unnatural,” he mumbled to himself, but yeonjun easily heard it.

“So it wasn't you that caused this darkness?” he asked, making sure. 

Soobin turned to him, his piercing eyes glinting like a predator in the dark. “No, how could i? Besides my god-gifted ability to feed on fears, I'm just an ordinary vampire.”

Yeonjun raised his brows at the first part of soobin’s statement. So it would seem he wasn't the only one the gods were visiting. Things just got a whole lot more interesting for him now, his heart beating in excitement at the game he realized he was being forced to play for the gods. Yeonjun liked games. And he liked turning the table and winning these games for himself. 

He snapped out of his thoughts and watched soobin look around the dark forest in curiosity. The vampire was almost like a child, skipping happily with glee and bending down to look at all the flowers and plants. Yeonjun was surprised to admit that this vampire was taller than himself by quite a few inches. He doesn't know whether to be impressed or bothered by this fact. He’s never been smaller than someone before in his entire existence. 

“Oh! Yeonjun-ssi! These flowers are so lovely,” soobin exclaimed, getting on his hands and knees to take a closer look. 

“Call me hyung,” yeonjun said automatically, “and those flowers are probably curled in for the night. It's late,” he began to say matter-of-factly when he stopped mid sentence. He observed soobin touching the flowers with care as they spread their petals open for him willingly. 

_What the-_

Then soobin giggled, reaching forward into the bushes next to the flowers and pulling out a bunny rabbit. “Hi there little guy!” he turned around to yeonjun, smiling as he sat in the grass with a white fluffy bunny in his arms. The bunny tried to jump up at his chest to get closer to the vampire. 

Yeonjun watched the joyful smile on soobin’s face, and then his eyes flicked to the forest at the sound of movement. More small woodland creatures came out of the brush, even though they were supposed to be hidden away and sleeping for the night. 

A huge deer rubbed its face against soobin’s cheek, a squirrel hopped on his shoulders and chittered playfully in his ear, a small bird flew down and pecked gently through his black hair. Soobin didnt seem to mind at all. 

Yeonjun watched in complete and utter shock. It was the weirdest thing he has ever seen in his entire life. And he was also slightly pissed, since not even an hour ago these same damn animals and plants were attacking him through the whole damn forest and-

And then it occurred to yeonjun. It all made sense. 

The animals and plants weren’t crazy, and they weren’t rabid…

They were _protecting_ soobin. They were guarding him all this time. They weren't trying to keep soobin locked inside, they were trying to keep whatever it was out here away from him, away from harm. 

Just...what kind of person was soobin to gain such undying loyalty from even the smallest of creatures? Why would they put his life above their own? 

Yeonjun doesn't get it. soobin did nothing for them, and yet they were willing to die for him without a second thought. 

Soobin stood up from his spot on the grass, still holding the bunny gently in his arms. The thing looked so small and fragile next to the tall vampire, and yet it was perfectly comfortable letting itself be vulnerable in his embrace. Soobin tucked it carefully in the crook of his arm as he wandered into the forest a little more. 

Yeonjun felt a little jealous at the attention the other animals were getting from soobin, but he quickly stomped down on that feeling. 

“Hyung, which way do you think is the way out?” soobin called over to yeonjun, trying to get a good idea of the land around him. It's changed a bit since he last saw it. 

“I don't think we can go this way-ahhhh!” soobin exclaimed in a girly scream, making yeonjun chuckle a little bit. Soobin stumbled around some more in the bushes. “What the hell? Ptthh psshhh ptthhh,” he spit with his lips, trying to get the massive spider web that he just walked into out of his face. He turned left, and abruptly came face to face with another web that was dangling from the trees, and screamed. Then he backed up a few steps and smacked into a tree, and screamed. Then he maneuvered around the tree and tripped on a stick, landing face first back into the spider web, and screamed. 

Yeonjun stood there and watched, amusement written all over his face. 

Soobin helplessly crawled out of the forest on his hands and knees, still cradling the bunny and panting like he just ran a marathon. 

“Are you done yet?” yeonjun asked, not holding back a laugh. Soobin glared up at him, and his expression only softened a little bit when the bunny jumped up slightly to give him a little lick of affection. 

“It's not funny,” soobin whined cutely, sitting back in his first spot on the ground. He let the bunny hop out of his arms and back into the bushes where it came from. 

“Oh god, you are so clumsy. How on earth are you a vampire?! And that was the most pathetic scream i've ever heard,” yeonjun snickered, smiling super big. 

He would’ve kept making fun of soobin some more, but the vampire was oddly quiet. So yeonjun stopped laughing, thinking he really hurt his feelings. 

But soobin wasn't looking at yeonjun anymore. He was instead staring off into the forest with a dazed look in his violet eyes. 

“Soobin?” yeonjun called over, stepping quickly to the vampire. But soobin didn't answer. He wordlessly got up from his spot, and smoothly began to walk into the forest. 

Yeonjun’s eyes flashed in the direction soobin was staring in, and he hissed in annoyance. A shiver of danger ran down his spine at what he saw. 

Bright orbs of light were floating around them, multiplying in number by the second. 

Will-o-the-wisps. Dangerous lights that lure innocent people off course and deep into the forest, never to be seen again. Only certain yokai like to use them to attract their prey and eat them. 

The lights never worked on yeonjun, because he was part fae and well aware of their trickery. But to someone like soobin, a (somewhat) normal vampire, he would get drawn in by the lights with no problems. 

Yeonjun was quick on his feet, stepping in front of soobin within a second, and forcing the other boy to stop in his tracks. Soobin merely tried to side step yeonjun so that he could follow the will-o-the-wisp. 

Yeonjun placed both his hands on soobin’s shoulders. “Don't look at them,” yeonjun commanded with a hiss, trying to gain soobin’s attention. “Hey! Soobin! Snap out of it!” he shouted, shaking soobin by the shoulders a few times. Soobin didn't pay any mind to the fox and tried to get out of yeonjun’s firm hold. 

Yeonjun brought his hand up, lightly slapping the vampire’s cheeks. “Soobinnie, don't look at the lights. Only look at me.” He gripped soobin’s jaw and chin, forcing the vampire to stare right into his eyes. Yeonjun glared at him, trying to snap him out of the light spell that the orbs put him under. 

It didn't seem to be working, so yeonjun let a bit of his blue fire leak out of his fingertips, burning (not harshly) soobin’s chin. 

That seemed to do the trick, because all of a sudden soobin gasped muttering a quiet “ow” under his breath. 

Yeonjun slapped him softly a few times on the cheeks. “Hey, you back? Hello? Don't look at those piece of shit lights, continue looking at me,” he said. 

“Yeah, ok, I'm sorry,” soobin nodded, a bit confused but no longer dazed. 

Yeonjun deemed it safe to let go of soobin and turn to glare at the lights. “It's got to be around here somewhere,” he growled, his quick eyes flashing back and forth from one tree to the next, one dark corner to the other.

“What is?” soobin wondered, staying behind yeonjun and focusing his gaze to the back of his blue head. He didn't want to accidentally fall under whatever spell he was in a moment ago. 

“The yokai that has been plaguing this land since you were sealed,” yeonjun explained, the hairs on his arms rising at the danger he could sense they were in. “My guess is that it has been living off of the magical energy seeping from the prison you were kept in. The animals and plants must have sensed it, and so they guarded you from it all this time. Meanwhile, it needed more energy, and so it casts a thick blanket of darkness on the mountain each night and lures innocent souls into its nest with the will-o-the-wisps. It's been feeding off of the magic surrounding you and the townsfolk for ten years now. And since tonight is a weak new-moon, it's perfect for hunting.”

“W-what?” soobin whispered, already on alert now. 

“The townsfolk have been blaming you for their people’s disappearances all this time,” yeonjun said. 

“But i didn't do it,” soobin whimpered. 

“I know that now,” yeonjun snapped, his eyes darting to the left at a small sound. It seemed like soobin heard it too, because he was also looking to the left. 

They both immediately went quiet, listening and waiting. 

Another small sound came from that direction. 

Yeonjun was never a fan of being prey, and so he quickly lost his patience. He charged in that direction, surprising soobin with the suddenness of it. He was gone within the darkness in a flash. 

Soobin only blinked before he heard yeonjun grunt and then a weird hissing sound echoed throughout the forest. Soon yeonjun was flying backwards through the air, heading straight for soobin. 

Soobin reacted without thinking. He easily caught yeonjun with a huff and then righted him on his feet, keeping his hands on yeonjun’s waist to steady him. Yeonjun was seething and glaring in the direction he just came from, already ready for round two. 

“That bastard is going to pay for that-” he began to snarl, his words getting lost in the huge hissing sound that was coming from the trees still. 

And then soobin screamed again. 

Because a huge ass spider was now right in front of the two of them. 

However, it wasn't just _any_ spider. It was a yokai spider. It towered as tall as a fully grown tree and wider than five of the thickest tree trunks put together side by side.

“Are you _kidding_ me?” soobin complained, looking up at the yokai with a hopeless expression. 

“Literally same,” yeonjun mumbled. His foxfire roared back to life, engulfing both him and soobin in the blue flames. 

“At least now i know where all those gross ass spider webs came from. How the hell are we supposed to take down a yokai of this size?” soobin asked.

Yeonjun’s lips curved up into a sly grin, the challenge in eliminating something this big already making the excitement and adrenaline course through his veins. “Easy,” he said. “I will just tear it to shreds with my own bare hands!” 

And then he charged confidently back at the spider, jumping up into the trees and hopping from branch to branch. Soobin watched him, already feeling the exhaustion and effort it was going to take him to kill this yokai. Where does yeonjun get all this energy from? 

Yeonjun landed easily on his back at least 20 feet up in the air. He dug his claws into the spider and tried to scrape down, gritting his teeth when he noticed that it did absolutely no damage to the outer layer of the spider whatsoever. The spider caught on quickly, and tried to stab yeonjun with its large pincers. Yeonjun dodged them and landed on the ground, quickly running around to the other side of the spider, weaving through its sharp legs. 

Soobin quickly started running in the other direction, aiming right for the legs as well, but being forced to dodge when the spider tried to stomp on him. 

Yeonjun growled in frustration when the spider didn't even get a knick from his claws at his legs. He was forced to dodge the other side of legs in the next moment. 

The spider shot its web at soobin, catching him in the arm. Soobin shook it off with disgust on his face, and then quickly noticed that it was trying to reel him in towards it like a fish on a line. Oh hell no. soobin sliced at the web with his own claws and started running quickly through the forest. The spider began to make chase after the vampire. 

Soobin looked back at the spider, panting heavily as he pushed aside all the plants and other branches in his way. 

Yeonjun was back on top of the spider, punching his hand into the spider’s back, attempting to set it on fire with his blue flames. It immediately set on fire, and even trailed to the other trees around them. The spider made a squealing sound that hurt both yeonjun and soobin’s ears, and it made a violent jerking motion to shake yeonjun off. 

Yeonjun lost his grip and was flung easily towards a huge tree. He closed his eyes waiting for impact, but was soon face planting into a warm chest. Arms wrapped around him, and then he was cradled in soobin’s embrace. He looked up at the boy holding him. 

Soobin was panting heavily, his eyes glinting violet and reflecting the flames around them. “You okay?” he asked. 

Yeonjun swallowed a lump in his throat. “Yeah,” he said, instantly back on his feet. “Thanks...again,” he whispered. 

Soobin nodded, turning and running away again. Yeonjun was confused at that and then started following soobin. The spider gave chase once more. Yeonjun’s foxfire barely scratched it, which pissed him off beyond belief. The yokai gathered up too much magical energy and souls over the years, and yeonjun wasn't at full strength due to his own lack of energy. No amount of food in the world could ever be enough to replace the effects of real energy from a master. 

They both darted around each other through the trees, weaving effortlessly into the forest. 

“Where are we going?” yeonjun asked soobin, letting the vampire take the lead. He just barely missed getting hit with another shot of the spider’s web that it persisted in spitting out at them. 

“Just a little further, it should still be here,” soobin muttered. 

Oh right, soobin was probably really familiar with the land. Even though some things might have changed, the general structure should still be the same. 

Yeonjun ventured a little further than soobin, dashing to the right and hopping from tree to tree in the branches. He swung effortlessly among them, faster than even a vampire could go. After all, he was born in the forest. 

However he wasn't watching too closely, the dark smog from the spider making his night vision limited. The trees ended abruptly, and the spider swiped out at yeonun with his two large pincers, breaking many branches in the process. Yeonjun barely missed getting hit and then he was falling off the side of a cliff he obviously didn't see was there. 

“Yeonjun!” soobin called, wrapping his hand around yeonjun’s wrist with an iron grip just in time. Almost half his body was over the edge of the cliff holding on to yeonjun desperately. 

Yeonjun looked up at soobin, shock still in his eyes. The yokai was looming over the vampire not too far away, but yet the other boy didn't seem to worry about that anymore, his focus completely on yeonjun and trying to pull him to safety. 

Soobin’s attention was still on yeonjun, struggling to lift him up from the position he was in. He grunted when the spider shot out a string of web and wrapped it around his ankle, beginning to drag him back. Yeonjun stared with wide eyes, completely and utterly surprised that soobin would risk his own life to save his. They only just met.

Oh. He gets it now. Why all the other animals would easily protect soobin in a heartbeat. Because this vampire was undeniably...selfless and _kind._

Yeonjun gritted his teeth, knowing what he had to do despite the amount of energy it was going to cost him. With great effort, he transformed into a small fox, his other form. Then he scurried up soobin’s arm, hopping across the vampire’s shoulders and landing safely to the edge of the cliff within a few seconds. 

Soobin let out a squeak of surprise as the weight he was bearing was suddenly gone, and he began to pitch forward off the cliff in yeonjun’s place. 

Yeonjun was back in his original form with his silver robes and blue hair. He reacted as fast as he could, grabbing soobin just in time and yanking him up. Soobin landed on top of him, making yeonjun breathe out a sigh of relief. He was panting from the exertion it took him to do that. He doesn't even remember the last time he transformed, his energy slowly depleting over the years without a master to feed him the necessary energy to live. 

However, the spider was already scurrying forward, aiming right for them. Soobin was back on his feet, slicing the web around his ankle and yanking yeonjun up with him. 

“I was attempting to maybe lure it off the cliff where it would hopefully go splat down there, but that seemed to not work out as well as i thought,” soobin growled out, starting to get pissed. 

“We need a new plan,” yeonjun agreed, wheezing a bit. 

“Got any ideas?” soobin asked. 

“My claws won't penetrate it, and my fire isn't strong enough to burn it…” yeonjun trailed off, the both of them jumping to the right to dodge the next attack from its pincers. Yeonjun hissed at them in annoyance when he suddenly got an idea. “Wait, how strong are you?” he asked soobin. 

Soobin furrowed his brows and puffed out his lips in a pout that would have been extremely cute if they weren't about to get eaten alive. 

“Uhm? I don't know?” he said like it was a question. 

“How the hell do you not know how strong you are?” yeonjun hissed at him. 

“I don't know! I never really liked to fight! What do you want from me, to go around fighting bears and testing my strength by whipping boulders at people?” soobin argued back.

“Ugh never mind. Do you think you could break off one of the pincers for me?” yeonjun asked. 

“You want me to do _what?_ ” soobin asked, looking at him incredulously. 

“What, can you not hear? Were you locked up in the earth for too long? I need a pincer and you’re going to get it for me,” yeonjun said in a bratty tone, like it was no problem at all. 

“Fine, but you have to distract it for me,” soobin said back, making yeonjun curl his upper lip at him. 

“Fine,” he reluctantly agreed. And then charged forward again. 

Soobin was right behind him, aiming right for the front. He briefly registered yeonjun attacking the legs again, trying to set them on fire, weaving back and forth through all eight of them. The spider was trying to stomp on yeonjun. 

Soobin stopped right in front of the spider, staring up at its creepy beady eyes, _all_ of them. He wondered if his gift would work on a yokai like this…

Unfortunately he didn't get a chance to test that theory out because then the spider was piercing the air with its pincers right at soobin. Instead of dodging it, he braced himself to catch it. But then at the last second, the spider changed its course and aimed it right at yeonjun. 

Fear took a hold of soobin’s heart and he rushed as fast as he could. 

But it was too late, the pincer already stabbing right into yeonjun, ripping the fabric of his silver robe. Thankfully, soobin was fast enough, being able to knock yeonjun out of the way just in time before the pincer could go straight through his heart. It stabbed into his left shoulder instead. An ugly wound, but not a fatal one…

Soobin took hold of the pincer that had remnants of yeonjun’s blood on it, making his nostrils flare at the smell. He struggled to keep his head clear as his hand wrapped around the sharp pincer, and he yanked sideways with all of his might. He brought his other hand up and punched a few times at the deathly thing, breaking the skin of his knuckles in the process. It began to crack, so he tried harder, sweat beading on his forehead at the effort he was exerting and the self control he was attempting to hold on to at the smell of yeonjun’s blood. His throat was extremely parched, it being over ten years since he last drank. The only reason why he probably didn't die from hunger was the fact that the magic from the shaman sealed him without needing to eat. He was essentially frozen all this time underground, and his body was picking up where it left off before he was imprisoned. 

With one more good punch, the pincer cracked and the yokai roared. It started going feral and attacking with everything it had in a frenzy. The pincer was knocked out of soobin’s hand and went flying. He just barely managed to grip the other one before being killed with it, falling on his back and pinned to the ground while trying to keep the spider at bay before it could stab him. 

His arms quivered as he tried to hold up the weight of the entire yokai, which was quite a lot. He guesses he was a lot stronger than he gave himself credit for. 

Soobin’s violet eyes widened as some of its web shot out and wrapped around his throat. He coughed, immediately recognizing he was going to be strangled to death. Or stabbed, whichever came first. 

Yeonjun swayed on his feet, taking hold of the broken pincer, his blood seeping through the fabric of his robe on his left shoulder and trailing down his arm under the garments. He jumped up on top of the yokai once more, and with all the strength he could muster, he stabbed down, right through its head. It screeched and hissed and then it began to lose its footing, falling towards the ground as it died. 

Soobin quickly scooted backwards as fast as he could to get out of the way before being crushed. The webbing was still tied around his throat, but he didn't have time to get it off. 

Yeonjun hopped down, landing on his feet but then going down on one knee. He glanced up at soobin with blurry vision, forcing himself to get back up. He walked over to soobin, slicing at the webbing with his claws and freeing the vampire from being strangled. 

Soobin was heaving in gulpfuls of air, finally looking up at yeonjun to thank him. 

Yeonjun continued to stare at soobin quietly, and the vampire immediately knew something was wrong. Yeonjun swayed again on his feet and then fell forward towards soobin.

“Yeonjun?!” soobin cried out, catching him and bringing him to the ground. He smelled yeonjun’s blood mixed with something sour immediately, and his face went pale. The fox spirit was poisoned, they didn't know the pincers were poisonous and yeonjun just got stabbed deeply with it in his left shoulder, right near his heart.

Shit. This wasn't good at all.

A new fear coursed through soobin’s heart, adding on to his current ones. 

Yeonjun lay cradled in soobin’s arms, breathing harshly with quick gasps. His eyes were hazy and sweat beaded across his forehead. His face was pale and absent of color, death starting to steep in to his beautiful features. Soobin held him close, taking yeonjun’s hand in his slightly larger one. His eyes roamed over yeonjun’s body frantically, panic and anxiety taking over. 

"I wasn't...as quick as I thought," yeonjun tried to joke, a wheeze escaping his lips. 

Soobin swallowed the lump in his throat, sorrow in his violet eyes at the thought of this lively boy dying in his arms. They barely knew each other, and already he can feel the pang of heartbreak start to take hold at the loss of yeonjun. 

"I'm sorry soobin. Looks like you're going to be alone for a little while longer," yeonjun apologized, trying to focus his eyes on the selfless and compassionate vampire staring down at him. The fox spirit knew there was no way the poison wasn't going to kill him, not even with his quick healing.

Soobin tightened his hold on yeonjun, his lips quivering a little at that and his eyes welling up. Why was this boy wasting his last moments of living worrying about him and his fears? 

"No, I won't," soobin said, his voice coming out clear and sure. "I'm not letting you die in my arms. I can take the poison out of you, but I need your permission." 

Yeonjun's eyelids were starting to flutter shut, and he was becoming unresponsive. Soobin’s heart raced in fear at that. 

"Yeonjun, I need your permission! Let me drink your blood, I can cleanse it of the poison. You will be fine once I finish!" He shook yeonjun a bit to keep him awake. 

"Ok, why didn't you say so sooner?" Yeonjun whispered, trying to sound mad, but it only came out as a hoarse whisper. 

"Yeonjun listen to me. I haven't drinken blood from another person for a very long time. If I begin, I won't have the strength to stop myself. Once I do this, I have two options: I either drain you completely and end up killing you, or I can only feed from _you_ for eternity, do you understand?" Soobin tried desperately to keep yeonjun coherent. He needs to make sure yeonjun is ok with this. Obviously he doesn't want to drain all of the blood from yeonjun like his clan used to do to the townsfolk that fell victim to their monthly feedings. Which means yeonjun will have to be his source of food for the rest of his immortal life. It can't be undone once he bites him.

Yeonjun laughed, a bit delirious. He untangled his hand from soobin’s and brought it up to his face, tracing around soobin’s eyes and cheekbone gently, almost lovingly. His rust colored eyes softened, and he smiled at something. 

"Eternity with you...now that doesn't seem so bad," he giggled. His hand dropped and he officially was almost completely unconscious. 

Soobin gritted his teeth, trying not to let his heart flutter a little bit at yeonjun’s statement. Instead he decided to throw all caution to the wind. Surely a life with a vampire couldn't be as bad as death, right? Yeonjun wouldn’t abandon him and leave him alone once he’s awake and realized what he’s done, would he?

So soobin made the decision for yeonjun, damning the both of them and intertwining their fates for forever. 

The vampire gently brushed aside yeonjun’s robe off his shoulder, wincing at the ugly looking slash where the spider’s poisonous pincer sliced into his skin. An anger like no other ignited in soobin. He glared at the wound, not liking how the fox's pretty skin was so brutally mutilated. His eyes caught on the way the blood seeped from the cut, trickling down yeonjun’s collarbone and chest like water from the purest stream. 

Soobin was thirsty. He's always been thirsty. And even poisoned, yeonjun’s blood smelled wonderful, the best he's ever come across. Other creatures of their land never appealed to soobin that much, but for some reason yeonjun’s fox-fae blood was irresistible to him. 

He bent his head down towards yeonjun’s hurt shoulder. He first pressed his soft lips to the side of yeonjun's neck, kissing the skin there before tracing his lips downward from his neck to the top of his collarbone and over to the wound on his shoulder. It was fleeting, but the gesture rivaled that of a lover's caress. 

Without hesitating, soobin bit down harshly into yeonjun's wound, making sure his fangs went deep. Yeonjun whimpered at that, letting out a cry from his lips that made soobin feel horrible at his cruelty. But it had to be done, he had to make sure he got deep enough to draw out all of the poison running through yeonjun’s blood and towards his heart. With strong hands, he held yeonjun still in case he woke back up while he drank. 

After a few seconds, soobin released his teeth from yeonjun’s skin and spat out the bad blood into the grass, unable to help swallowing some of it. It tasted sour, but still really good. He returned to his task, biting back down and repeating the action several more times. Yeonjun’s breathing was gradually getting better the more poisoned blood soobin removed, and his body wasn't working as hard to rid itself of the toxin, giving yeonjun relief. 

Many minutes later, soobin finally thinks he got all of the poison out of yeonjun's veins, soon tasting clean blood in the wounded area of his shoulder. He broke away from the wound and blinked down at yeonjun as he licked his lips clean. His eyes were so vibrant and violet, and his throat was still parched. Despite cleansing yeonjun’s blood, he didn't drink any of it. He stared at yeonjun’s neck helplessly, his pulse like a jackhammer to soobin’s ears. 

As he tried to tell yeonjun before, he knew he wouldn't have the strength to stop drinking his blood until he's fed at least a little bit. His willpower is completely shattered. How could he ever resist this beautiful boy in his arms? 

Soobin once again leaned in, kissing along the pulse on yeonjun’s neck a few times, his fingers weaving into yeonjun's vibrant blue hair and tangling in the strands. He couldn’t help himself, the urge to have his lips on yeonjun was intoxicating. Yeonjun unconsciously shifted in his sleep, baring his neck slightly and unknowingly giving soobin slightly better access. Soobin will deem that as silent permission to continue the horrible thing he is about to do. He then bit down gently into the junction between yeonjun’s neck and shoulder, right over that pulse that called out to him like a song, and he drank heavily. Yeonjun let a small sigh escape his lips, but otherwise he was still sleeping. 

Soobin finished, swiping his tongue over the small puncture wounds and kissing his neck softly with feather-light kisses once more. He then untangled his hand from yeonjun’s hair and covered his now healing wound back up with his robe, tucking it in so that he wouldn't be cold. He shifted and cradled the fox-like boy closely to his chest, wrapping both his arms tightly around him so that he could sleep comfortable in his embrace all night. He was strong enough to hold him for forever if he needed to.

Soobin stared down at yeonjun, an endearing smile on his lips as yeonjun made a face in his sleep, curling himself more into soobin’s chest and slightly gripping his shirt in his fist. The fact that he was restless in his sleep gave him much relief, meaning yeonjun will be perfectly fine once he heals. 

It was a beautiful night outside, the stars glowing more brightly and vibrantly than ever before due to the darkness of the new moon. For all these years being sealed away underground, Soobin has longed to see the sky again; he has always loved looking up at the sky. Yet, now that he was finally granted the chance to see it once more, it no longer appealed to him. Instead his focus and attention was completely on a sleeping boy with blue hair and fox-like eyes. And to him it was the most beautiful sight he has ever seen, incomparable to those stars that clearly hung above him right at this moment. 

Without the both of them realizing, a bond between the two began to form. It would become a bond so strong that not even the sword of fate could sever it, no matter how many times it may try. 

***

Beomgyu stepped over the veil, crossing into the mortal realm. 

It took him a minute to let the miserable feeling of traveling between dimensions subside, but once it did he cursed under his breath.

The veil landed him right smack in the middle of the mages. He flicked his gaze around from person to person, a feeling of panic and anxiety taking over his body. This wasn't good, he could be killed within a second if even one person stopped to take notice. 

Did they recognize him? 

Were his bright red irises standing out too much? 

He kept very still in the crowd, not daring to move a muscle. His skin was clammy with nerves as he took in his surroundings. 

The mages were having some kind of celebration, the entire place decorated for festivities. Luckily for him, he managed to cross over into their realm at a time where they were all distracted. Each of them were facing the night sky, releasing beautiful lanterns and watching them float on the wind to light up the darkness.

He needed to leave quickly before they finished-

Someone in the crowd turned away from the sky earlier than the others. The mage didn't bother to watch the lanterns drift away until the very end. 

The mage froze in his spot, locking eyes with beomgyu and staring with such a strong intensity, sending a shiver of something down the demon’s spine. 

What was this feeling? 

What was this burning fire he felt just from staring right at him?

The mage took a step closer, fully facing beomgyu now. The demon was awestruck at what he saw. The mage had wide expressive hazel eyes and pretty lips. His light brown hair glowed in the firelight of the surrounding flames. He had a certain cold beauty about him, his features frozen with a look of indifference, but yet it was his eyes that showed his true emotions. 

Beomgyu knew he should leave, his time was running out. He didn't have enough magical energy to sustain himself in this realm for longer than a few minutes at best. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to turn away. 

The mage started heading towards him frantically, a certain desperation in his eyes that seemed to reflect what beomgyu was feeling in his heart. Did this mage feel the strong pull between them too?

But beomgyu would never get his answer. He would never find out. 

Because his night was ending, his time was up. He didn't have enough magical energy to stay in the mortal realm permanently. Instead, he chose to cherish his last remaining moments with this mage. He tried to commit this boy to memory, studying his features greedily. 

The mage had a soft glow around him, a gentle shine that drew beomgyu in. It was the same light he wanted so badly to see, what he risked stepping through the veil to get a closer look at. This small light was like a fragile star in the endless night, a weak candle that flickered and lit up a dark room. He wants to protect this lonely light that managed to chase away the torturous darkness consuming his heart. He wants to take it’s warm glow for himself, selfishly hold it in his hands, and shield it from anyone who ever dares to put it out. 

Beomgyu blinked in realization after thinking these thoughts. 

Oh. 

He understands now. 

He understands why Changbin tries so desperately to protect the bright blue light like it was something precious.

Because standing right here, isolated from all of the others, was a very faint and unimpressive glow, no better than the flame from a dying candle wick. 

And to beomgyu, it was _beautiful._

The mage shoved past the other creatures of day, frantically running to reach the demon, holding out a hand to try and grasp him. It was no use, he wasn’t going to make it in time.

Without taking his eyes off of the mage, beomgyu disappeared slowly, fading away like the glow of embers after cooling from a fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I will vow upon this song (koto uta ni chikaou)" by kokia


	5. The Storm

_With all your heart, listen, look!_

_The rhythm of the rain and sun and the beat of their hearts fill me._

_I will not go back and lose it all._

****************************************

Seokjin held out his hand with his palm up, his eyes taking on a faraway look. His small hourglass floated right above his outstretched palm, the sand inside glowing bright golden and unnatural. 

The space around him was mystically dark, a mixture of colors: black, lavender, indigo, blue. Swirls of a hazy silver mist wrapped all around this space like trails of stardust in the night sky. 

Eventually his eyes came back into focus, and a frown formed on his lips.

"Well?" Hoseok asked. "What is it that you are seeing?”

Seokjin reached up and gripped his hourglass with his delicate fingers, his heart hurting. "I see the end of certain timelines. I hate watching death approach and yet they are so unaware of it." 

Hoseok tilted his head in curiosity, his mind racing a mile a minute. "I don't understand how that is necessarily a bad thing. Yoongi hyung deals with this type of situation on a daily basis. That's how life works."

Seokjin shook his head, facing hoseok with a grim line set to his lips. "No, this isn't natural deaths."

Hoseok sucked in a breath. "Is it the void? Which lives does it plan on taking away?" 

"Certain lives are getting too tangled in the void's web. It has taken notice of a few of them, and now it wants to eliminate them. It wants to take back what should have never been created in the first place." 

Hoseok let out a snort, crossing his arms over his chest. "You speak too much in riddles hyung. I don't understand a thing you just said." 

Seokjin waved his hand over his hourglass, the object disappearing back to where it came. Then he sighed.

"I can't say much, but a select few people scattered throughout the realms are now getting too involved with the void, _unintentionally._ Their timelines have been altered, and death awaits them. The void is set to destroy them, one way or another." 

Hoseok noted how distressed he looked in this moment. He knows that Seokjin is blaming himself for this happening. It's technically his fault that the void is trying to leak through time and space. He knows that seokjin will beat himself up over this day and night, especially now that the timelines of others outside their family are getting affected. 

Essentially, it's almost as if the void has won this fight without them even starting it. 

Hoseok was by no means a loser. He was the God of Trickery after all. If the odds weren't in his favor, he will simply play by the evens. 

"Ok, so?" He said bluntly to seokjin. "If the void wants to destroy timelines, then why don't you just alter them instead?" 

Seokjin shook his head regretfully. "I can't do that. You _know_ that. I am the keeper of time, not it's master. I can't control another person's life and bend it to my will. We do not get a say in who lives or who dies. We do not make these choices for the others. Everything will be ruined if we do. How could you even suggest this?" 

Hoseok let out a joyful laugh, and his eyes sparkled with mischief. He waved a finger back and forth at seokjin. "Uh, uh, uh. I didn't say anything about saving their life or choosing who gets to live or die. And I certainly didn't tell you to make these choices for them." He gave seokjin a large grin, showing all teeth, the excitement radiating around him. "What if we made some happy accidents instead? What if we created new rules?" 

Seokjin blinked at him, not understanding. Hoseok was always someone who seemed insane, but he was actually very clever. He always had a plan, always had an answer for everything. 

Hoseok waved his hand through the space around them, immediately showing hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of thin silver threads, shimmering and criss crossing past each other in an endless web of life. 

"Why are you bringing out the threads of every soul's timeline?" Seokjin asked suspiciously. He was supposed to protect these souls throughout the dimensions of time and space. He was very careful of who he allowed to see them. 

"Which timelines are going to eventually fray and wither away? Which people has the void chosen will die sooner?" Hoseok asked him. They all looked the same to him. Only Seokjin, the god of time, can depict which timeline is associated with which soul. 

Seokjin reluctantly pointed them out, the threads lighting up as he touched them. 

"Excellent!" Hoseok exclaimed as he rubbed his hands together. "If we are going to fight this war with the void, then it's time to play dirty." 

"I already told you, we can't save these souls, the void is going to kill them-" 

"We aren't going to save them," hoseok interjected, his eyes glinting as fiery orange as the robes he wears. "They are going to save _each other._ " 

"What?" Seokjin asked, leaning closer. He was intrigued now. 

Hoseok shrugged. "It's just as you said. We can't choose who gets to live or die, that wouldn't be right. But we _can_ meddle in their timelines, we can weave them around each other, make the threads cross paths with one another, and give them the choice to live together and save each other, if they wish to do so." 

"That...actually might work," seokjin said breathlessly, his heart beginning to fill with hope. Hoseok was always able to do that for them: give them another alternative, another way out.

Hoseok laughed his bubbly laugh. "Like I said, we will make happy accidents!" 

Then he took a thread, a soul's timeline, and he crossed it directly over another's. The first thread looked very dim, very frayed. Seokjin recognized it as the timeline of a mage who was dying by the day, his light dwindling incredibly fast. The void was acting as a double edged sword. Each time this mage uses his special born gifts, he will shorten his lifespan. The thread that hoseok crossed it with was a strong one, as sharp as steel. Seokjin knew it was a demon’s timeline. The threads started to meld together, moving on their own until it formed a new path. The strong thread wrapped many _many_ times around the weak and frayed thread; it was choosing by itself to protect the other. These two souls will now meet like they were supposed to before the void decided to kill the mage. 

Next, hoseok picked up another thread with his long and delicate fingers. A water sprite's, and he weaved it around a dark elf's thread. Again, the two threads moved on their own until they were comfortable around each other and formed a new path to take together. 

Hoseok was honestly having too much fun with this. 

“Ooooppppssss my bad,” he barked out a jolly laugh. “I'm so clumsy,” he snorted as he crossed the thread of a quiet, stoic vampire and one of a clever but fiery werewolf- all of that attitude will make up for his short height. 

Hoseok began to pick up another glowing thread, and his eyebrows raised in surprise. “Oh? What do we have here? These two threads are already connected, I don't even need to do anything with them. Why is that?” he looked at Seokjin with the cutest curious puppy-dog look on his face. 

Seokjin studied the two threads that were very much intertwined, just as hoseok said. It would seem they don't need to help these two out very much. He smiled as he remembered the day he visited the fox spirit. “It would seem he found what he was looking for already,” he answered hoseok. 

Hoseok just shrugged and moved on. He grabbed several others and weaved them together until he finally decided he was finished. 

He dusted off his hands as if he just did some heavy labor. Then he turned to face his hyung. “There, now do you see what i mean? It is not your responsibility for every single soul that the void decides to bully. _You_ were just as much of a victim of the void as they are now. Please stop beating yourself up over what happened to us.”

“Still, i can't help but feel bad-”

Hoseok glared at seokjin, a rare sight of the usually peppy and happy god. “No, you don't get to feel bad. Not this time. You want to know why the void won't hurt these people like it tried to hurt us? You want to know why it will not get a chance to terrorize its victims anymore? It's because this time around, _we_ are here. We beat the system, and now we are going to help these people beat the system too. We will end this once and for all, and we are going to do it together.” 

Seokjin stepped forward, wrapping Hoseok up into a huge hug. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

Of course hoseok was going to hug back twice as hard. “I'll go get the others. Meanwhile, why don't you finish up here, yeah? Finish helping these poor souls that the void is going to destroy one day.”

Seokjin nodded, kissing the top of hoseok’s head and then letting go. “Yeah, okay. I know what i have to do now.”

Hoseok danced joyfully in place. He always loves a good game of chess. He was a strategizer, a loophole, a trickster. Life has always been a game to him, and he _will_ help them win it. 

***

The God of Time stared at the threads of time, his eyes taking on a mystic glow. A small smile was on his face. 

He turned and faced forward, bracing his feet in the space around him. His hand waved over the air, lighting up at his command. He was going to do something forbidden, and just like many lifetimes ago, he didn't care. 

The threads of time appeared before him, weaving and winding around his body, all of them strung in the path they were _forced_ to take, the roads the void has chosen for them. That isn't right. The void should not be determining their fates, these beautiful souls should be able to do that on their own. They should be able to have the ability to choose where they want to go in life, who they wish to spend it with. 

Seokjin breathed in a huge breath, inhaling deep in his lungs and then exhaling as he raised his hands up in the air to his sides like that of a conductor in music. He leaned his head back, his eyes glowing a soft golden color, identical to that of the sands of time.

And then he let the melodies of time storm into his mind. Every soul’s song, the beautiful and colorful notes of life. He could hear and see it all. 

He focused only on the ones that were important, the lullabies of those that the void has targeted. His eyes easily found their silver threads, fraying and damaged, and he reached carefully forward. Like a musician on a harp, he plucked their strings, moving and arranging them how he wished. 

Do not misunderstand. He did not change their course. He did not change the direction of their paths. That would break the world as we know it. 

Instead he sped things up. These people were meant to cross paths with each other at one point in their original timelines, until the void decided to change it and bring death to them. So now he was going to bring them together much sooner than was originally planned. 

We all need to remember: There is no such thing as coincidences, there is no such thing as destiny. Only the inevitable. 

They will make their own choices and decisions. They will weave their own fates for themselves. He can not meddle in what they do. He can only watch from the sidelines from here on. 

The God of Time was stood in the center of the universe, a place where time did not exist in the way that we know it. Time here in this space was endless. It was frozen in place.   
In this exact space, neither the past, present, nor future has occurred yet. 

The God of Time took a single string and followed its tune, crossing it with another. These two souls will meet very soon, even though they live in two completely different dimensions:

_“No!” chan shouted, running as fast as he could to the young fairy boy. Being a vampire, he managed to make it in time, but just barely. He hasn’t fed for weeks now, making him much weaker than he should be._

_Chan wedged himself in between the fae and the other vampires, his lips pulled back into a snarl as he protected the boy. The other vampires were angry at that, circling chan like he was prey._

Then he heard the sound of the drums, a heavy beating that pounded with the beats of his own heart. He gripped that string with his pinky finger, and wrapped it around a few times. It was a bright blue soul that shouldn’t even exist. The void destroyed this type of blue souls a long time ago. The void wants to kill this soul, but it won't have a chance to. Not with another soul choosing to guard it: 

_Changbin turned on his heel, facing the oncoming demons heading their way._

_His eyes glowed a blood red color only a high ranking demon possesses, and a sadistic smile began to creep up on his lips as he unleashed his claws. His demonic energy clung to the air around him, as well as around felix and jeongin protectively._

_No demon will touch the mage and his guard. Not tonight._

Once that was finished, the God of Time plucked another silver thread that was very very short, fraying at the end and about to disappear. This soul was about to be welcoming death any second. He listened to the beautiful melodies, and then he weaved it between two others. These two threads gladly accepted the newcomer, cradling it like it was always meant to be there between them: 

_The ashes of the red petals stuck to jeongin, and he slowly began to catch fire. It wasn't an aggressive fire. It was a slow and gentle flame, the kind you need on a cold night to help yourself warm up. The edges of jeongin’s body glowed like embers, and little by little, piece by small piece, they broke away._

_The embers remained a beautiful crimson color, floating up into the red dawn. It looked like fire dancing to meet the sky so that they could be together again._

_Seungmin used one of his hands to lovingly touch the drifting embers._

_Jeongin slowly disappeared into the scarlet sky, his embers leaving a blazing trail for everyone across the land to see._

_Seungmin and hyunjin looked up, letting the warmth of the morning light soak into their skin. And then after some time, they heard a small cry echo from above._

_They both watched as a piercing red bird of flames circled above their heads before it began to descend down near them._

Seokjin wore a content smile on his lips, time rewriting itself right before his very eyes. His long and slender fingers held silver threads of every color, every length, every tune imaginable, some frayed, some as strong as steel, and they all crossed paths at some point with each other. 

He brought up two very special threads, his favorite by far out of all the others. These two threads are going to change everything, they will be the ending to this game they are all forced to play. They will be the wild cards, his secret weapon. These two souls are going to be so important, so intertwined, that he will never be able to separate them ever again. 

And without mercy, he crossed the shorter thread, the one that is going to die eventually, right over the other until they became one. They were meant to be together, but the void made it so that they will not see one another in this timeline. Well, he is going to change that. He is going to make sure they end up together in this dimension, in this current timeline. The void will not be able to keep them from each other anymore:

_Sweat started to bead on minho’s forehead and his heart was beating too hard inside his chest. His head felt like it was going to pop, but still he ignored the pain. His arm that was submerged in the inky darkness of the void felt like it was going to get ripped off, but with great strength he forced the veil to open. He hissed through his teeth, the sharp pain travelling up his arm at an alarming rate._

_With a smirk and a grimace all in one, minho took one step over the veil’s threshold and then he crossed into the void between dimensions. “Stay close to me, pretty boy. The void is going to try and take me, or you, or both of us,” he rasped out. It was getting harder to breathe._

_Jisung was stunned at this. He just let himself hang there on minho’s shoulder, gripping his shirt and staring behind minho. With each painful step minho took, jisung watched the veil to his prison shatter, the pieces scattering and slowly breaking away one by one, forever lost into the darkness of the void._

_He can't believe this...minho is actually taking him out of the void, after so many years of being exiled there. He was speechless and clung closer to minho unconsciously so that he wouldn't fall off or get left behind. He was at minho’s complete mercy. If the reaper decided to just drop him and leave him there, jisung would be lost forever between dimensions._

The God of Time didn't stop there. He continued stringing these threads together, twisting them like his own personal game of Cat’s Cradle. He has no idea what will come of his interference, he has no way of predicting what these people will do, what road they decide to take. All he can do now is give them the opportunity to _choose_ , he will pave the way so that they can form their own fates. 

The threads of time started to take motion, continuing where he left off, moving on their own and integrating themselves within each other. He no longer has control over what will happen.

The space around him was quiet, it was still and tense. The void will soon realize what he’s doing, and it will try and stop him at all costs. 

He tilted his head upwards, a wide mischievous smile on his lips and his eyes shining bright and golden. He held out his arms, the glowing silver threads of time falling from his fingertips and wrapping around his vibrant blue robes loosely like raindrops of liquid silver.

Is the void watching him right now? Can it see what he has done?

This war has just started, the first move has now been made.   
The sword of fate has been swung, and he will wield it in his hand until the very end. 

It was the calm before the storm. He can almost feel a crackle in the air, like it was charged with electricity. 

He will be the catalyst that starts it all.

He will be the spark that lights everything ablaze. 

And when it all comes crashing down, he will then be the light that guides them through the endless night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Storm" by Thefatrat featuring Maisy Kay


	6. Water

_How I long to take some comfort from their arms._

_Dearer than life, is the warmth of a friend I can depend on,_

_To listen to me and to hold me, as we watch the world burn before our eyes._

****************************************

The God of Time entered the garden, slowly bending down to softly caress the red camellia flowers in front of him. He inhaled its beautiful and subtle scent, smiling as he let go of its soft petals. He glanced around him, taking in the enchanting scenery. 

The garden was vast, flowers of all kinds winding its way across the path before him, leading him to a larger opening. The sky above him was midnight black, blacker than the blackest night. He supposes this isnt a surprise, considering he is at the heart of the underworld, a dimension created for the God of Death himself. 

A full moon rose high in the night, giving every flower a gentle glow, their own little spotlight for the world to see. Or rather, for only the God of Death to see, as he preferred a quiet and secluded place away from the others. 

As the God of Time passed through the never-ending flowers, his exotic blue robes gently dragged across the ground, gliding through small pools of water that collected in the garden and reflected the radiance of the night sky in their shallow depths. He didnt mind, often preferring to walk through the natural serenity of nature itself. 

As he got closer to his destination, he could hear the soft melody of a piano filling the air. He smiled to himself, closing his eyes for a second at the alluring song that was being played.

He stopped in front of an intricate pavilion, vines and red flowers crawling up the structure. There in the center of this pavilion was the most entrancing site before him. A grand piano was stood in the middle, sleek and shiny. Sitting at it’s seat was the God of Death himself, garbed in the finest of cream colored robes, lined with delicate moonstones rivaling the color of the moon itself. He was luminous, with jet black hair and pale skin the color of ivory. His eyes were closed, soft lashes resting against his cheeks as his fingers glided across the piano with utter perfection. He was playing the songs of the souls, sad but melodious at the same time. In the distance, the God of Time could see small lights drifting within the garden, the souls being put at ease with the musical sounds the God of Death was creating. 

The God of Time watched patiently as he waited for the song to end. He leaned against one of the pavilion’s pillars, admiring the serenity of the garden. He always liked visiting the God of Death's garden more than the other’s places. The God of Death liked to keep to himself, silently watching over his souls as he lived in the calm garden. 

The music came to a trailing end, being interrupted by a raspy voice from the musician. 

“What brings you to my humble garden of souls, Kim Seokjin?” 

The God of Time snapped out of his daze, a smirk on his face as he waited for Min Yoongi to turn around and face him. He did just that, spinning on the piano’s stool and crossing one cream cloth covered leg over the other. His boots matched the cream of his robes, adorned with more moonstones and pearls. He quirked a dark eyebrow in interest as he waited for seokjin to talk. 

“Cant i just drop by for a visit?” seokjin complained. He flicked some of his lavender hair out of his eyes and adjusted his blue robes, the stones from the void glinting in the moonlight.

Yoongi snorted. “You dont just take the time to drop by. The God of Time is always calculating his precious seconds and minutes, not a single one wasted.” 

Seokjin smiled, the pout instantly leaving his face. “Ok you got me there. I do have something to tell you.”

“Im listening. But make it quick. Park Jimin is coming soon to collect my souls for me. They are ready to enter the cycle of rebirth again.”

Seokjin clapped in joy. “Even better, i meant to visit everyone after this.”

Min yoongi sighed in impatience. Seokjin was always like this, wasting his time despite being in control of Time. 

Suddenly, seokjin took on a more serious face, instantly alerting yoongi. Seokjin was only serious if it was something important. “Dont you feel it yoongi? Something dangerous is happening in the mortal realm. Something horrible is coming. The sands of time are uneasy, rippling in the void and getting tangled. I dont like it.”

Min yoongi was silent for a second, heeding his words. “Yes, ive felt it. Someone is doing something unlawful in the mortal realm. But you know it is not our place to meddle in the earthling’s affairs. We simply clean up what they have destroyed.” 

Seokjin huffed, stepping uneasily on his feet. “Yes i know, but i think this time the balance of the worlds are at stake. If we dont do something, it could even affect _us_.”

The God of Death sighed, rubbing his temples to ease away the headache that was forming. “What did you have in mind?”

Seokjin smiled a mysterious smile. “I’ve already started. A certain Time Wielder of mine has been quite rambunctious. He’s perfect for the job.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Of course. It is just like you to go and already start meddling where things arent meant to be meddled with. You surely dont expect this rebellious time wielder to work alone, do you?”

“Nope,” seokjin told him, popping the ‘p.’ “thats why im here. You got anyone in mind? Someone who was born under you that is different from the others?”

“The fact that you are asking me that means you already know i do,” yoongi told him with a tired sigh. He swiftly stood up on his feet, walking over to the back side of the pavilion. A gorgeous stone fountain stood there, made from the stones of the void. It held the most clear liquid of water, each drop found deep within the center of the void and brought back exclusively for the God of Death to use. It held no reflection when looked into, only what the God wishes to see. 

Yoongi moved his hand over the water, letting it ripple and show him what he needed to see. Seokjin leaned over his shoulder, amazed each time he witnesses it. He watched with wonder as the image showed a young male with ash brown hair, cloaked in darkness and wandering the mortal realm. 

“Who’s that?” he asked yoongi with curiosity. 

“One of my grim reapers,” yoongi replied, studying the young male with keen dark eyes. 

Seokjin looked more closely. He furrowed his brows in confusion, something not quite right with this grim reaper. “Why is his hair ash brown?” 

Yoongi snorted. “That’s what you noticed different about him? His hair color above everything else?” 

Seokjin scoffed, “well, yes.” 

“He’s a rogue,” yoongi answered him. “He no longer is a grim reaper, instead wandering the mortal realm as his life slowly continues to tick away. You should have caught on to that.”

Seokjin nodded. “His clock is winding, that’s for sure. Grim reapers are supposed to be frozen in time, not really living but not really dead. Is he the one you have in mind?”

Yoongi nodded. “He’s been a rare case for me. Bold and daring.” yoongi smiled at that. He always did like the more lively ones. His life can get a bit boring sometimes. 

“What’s his story?” seokjin asked in curiosity. 

Yoongi shrugged. “He got tired of death and destruction. Im guessing he’s subconsciously looking for a little more life in his world. He hasnt quite found it yet, im afraid. He’s been wandering the mortal realm for some time now, never staying in one place. I let him be. As long as he doesnt cause problems for the mortals, i could care less. Im not the mother to my grim reapers. They know the laws, they know what will happen if they abuse their powers. Other than that, they are free to do as they wish.” 

Seokjin listened to yoongi’s words attentively, a slow cheshire cat-like smile taking form upon his perfect lips. 

“What? What is that look for?” yoongi asked hesitantly. He hates that look. It means seokjin is cooking up something meddlesome again. 

“He’s looking for a little more _life_ you say?” he asked, tapping his lips and excitement sparkling in his eyes. He nodded his head, coming to a decision. “He’s perfect. Let’s round him up and then gather more.”

Yoongi sighed again, waving his hand above the image of the former reaper, and allowing the pool of water to return to its still image once more. “Im really going to hate this idea of yours, arent i?” 

Seokjin waved him off. “You hate everything, besides music. Now come on, let’s go visit the others.”

The God of Death trailed after the God of Time, grumbling curses under his breath. He really should put a spell on his garden gates preventing the bothersome older male from entering ever again. 

___

"Everybody ready?" seokjin asked the other six after gathering them together. 

Hoseok was sitting on a tree branch up above them, swinging his legs back and forth and kicking his yellow robes all around his calves. He smirked, already ten steps ahead of the others. Like Taehyung, their parts were already completed for now, easily helping their hyung earlier without a single hesitation. 

Yoongi took the edge of his cream colored sleeve and used it to polish the silver bejeweled dagger in his hand. "Took me a while to find this, but yeah I'm ready now." 

Jungkook tapped the compass in his hand, watching as the blue needle spun endlessly, just like it was supposed to. "Yep, all good to go." 

Jimin gasped. "oh no! I forgot to gather the three rings! What if I don't meet them in time?" Hoseok snickered from up above and jimin glared at him. 

Namjoon sighed. "Well, you better hurry," he said, shaking his head like a parent would to their child. 

Seokjin gripped the golden pocket watch tightly in the palm of his hand. It was going to be a very special gift he normally wouldn't grant his time wielders. Then he looked back at each one of them, his usually carefree face taking on a serious expression.

"Once we do this, there's no going back," he warned them. 

They all nodded, yoongi giving an ‘I dont care’ snort, hoseok laughing brightly from up above, namjoon groaning in mock annoyance, jungkook cracking his neck like he was about to fight someone, and taehyung clapping seokjin’s shoulder in reassurance. 

Then seokjin looked over at the god of rebirth.

“Jimin,” seokjin asked, his message clear to the god of rebirth without having to say anything more. 

Jimin lifted his arms at his sides, the sheer red cloths dangling from them like wings of flames. He raised his head and smiled to the night sky. His eyes took on a misty shade, glazed over in a fog as he peered into the mirrors of the different worlds. 

Still with a gentle smile on his lips, he let small crimson butterflies appear in the dark sky around his body. They blinked in and out, fluttering around him and up, up, up, until he could see them no more. Their wings glowed in the dark and they left trails of red in their wake. 

Seokjin watched with keen eyes, never removing his gaze from them until they were out of sight, disappearing within the realms. 

"Can't you hear it?" Jimin whispered to the others, his eyes coming back into focus, the fog clearing from them. 

"Hear what?" Namjoon asked the obvious question.

"A heartbeat that sounds like the drums of war," Jimin declared. 

***

His footsteps pounded on the sleek stones in rhythm with his own beating heart. Its been awhile since he was summoned to the Fae Queen’s inner court. 

However, unlike the many years ago when he first and last saw the fae castle through the eyes of a curious child, the awe and grandeur has long since disappeared. Now, this place looks like a shiny prison, the serene beauty of it an illusion to draw you in and never let you go. There was nothing glorious about this place. 

He resisted making a face as he passed hurriedly through the open-air halls towards the throne room. Fae warriors flanked both of his sides, just in case he made a wrong move or misstepped. It was under the false pretense that he was being protected, but he knows the truth of why they were escorting him so closely. He knows his place in this world, among his people. He knows what they really think of him. 

He held his head high, his face giving nothing away. He wore a mask of boyish charm to cover up his disgust at his own race. 

He glanced around at the palace, a place of serenity, grace, and loveliness. Like the plentiful land they resided in, the castle of the fae was gorgeous in every aspect. Plants of various colors decorated the walls and pillars, the sounds of nature interspersed among them with live sounds that almost sounded musical. Pools and streams of the clearest waters trickled between rocks and stone paths. Natural light from this world's heavenly sky shone down on the fae, giving everything a mystic glow no matter what time of day it was. 

Only one thought entered his mind as he stepped into the grand throne room of the Fae Queen. 

How could something so beautiful...be so _ugly?_

The throne room was no ordinary structure like that of the mortal realm. It was all open to the fae’s forests. Trees as high as the sky domed over them, their branches and roots providing the foundation to the room. Soft vibrant green grass served as the flooring and pearl white stones created footpaths for the fae to walk on. Lights of magic glowed among the trees, illuminating the place with a warm nurturing feel to it. 

Fae were always one with nature, their existence and practice revolving around the energies of the world. They live and feed off the land, dying if the energy they need is taken from them. 

Which is why he was summoned despite his reputation among his brethren. The circumstances must be dire if they needed him to be present among the other royal descendants of the fae queen. 

He wore a long thin silk shirt of white that flowed down to the tops of his thighs. His leggings consisted of a comfortable white material that clung to him like a second skin. The bottoms of his leggings cut off at the ankles, allowing him to walk around barefoot, as was custom for the fae so that they could ground themselves in the energies of the land as they stepped. His hair was of a deep brown color that curled gently around the frame of his face and across his forehead in waves. Lastly, his signature white eye patch covered his right eye. He would not dare take it off, especially in a place like this. 

Once he stepped foot into the throne room, a hush was heard among the other courtesans that gathered at the queen’s call. They all stared at him like he was an enigma, and he supposes he was. There was no other like him in their world….or the entire world for that matter. His birth was a mystery, his existence never before seen. 

And they hated him for it. 

Like a sea, they parted for him as he made his way to the front, the ‘escorts’ still keeping a close eye on him. 

In her throne of ivory wood sat the Fae Queen Jihyo, her frame small but still strong. Her face was graced with cold beauty, her mere presence outdoing all of the other’s around her. Flanking on her right were her eight light fae half sisters, her personal royal court, the closest in blood to her and the direct descendants to the throne. To her left were her six male dark fae advisors, the next of kin to the throne under her sisters. 

The remaining courtesans that filled the room were all related to these royal figures in some kind of way, but they were too many generations branched out to be considered possible inheritors of the throne. Instead they served as the high ranking nobility of both the light and dark fae, handling duties given to them directly from the royal bloodline and managing the people in their stead.

He reached the front and gracefully bowed to the queen and her court along with all the others that were summoned to the inner palace. Then, without lifting his head, he knelt on one knee, showing his submission and staying in place among the long line of other nobility. 

The entire room became utterly silent, his arrival being one of the last of the nobility called to serve their queen. She stood up from her throne, her head held high and no signs of weakness apparent on her face. 

With a soft tinkling voice that rang with authority, she called each person by their true given name, allowing them to lift their heads as they were acknowledged.

Finally, she came to his name. He was surprised she even knew it at all. But then again, the queen and her sisters were never unfair or unjust. It was the other fae of this realm he had to be wary of. 

“Kai Kamal Huening, you may lift your head,” she spoke. He did as he was ordered, and met her gaze head on, something not many would dare to do. His one green eye studied her facial features, noting not a single gesture of warmth apparent on them. She was not unkind or unaffectionate, but she could not show weakness in front of the others, especially with so many figures of power gathered in one place. 

A few snickers and scoffs of distaste were heard throughout the crowd at the mention of his name. He was not welcomed here despite his heritage of royal blood and nobility. However, he will not cow down to them, he will not show how affected he was by their cruelty just because he was different. 

“Im sure you all know the reason why we have summoned you here today,” the second in line to the throne spoke up from her seat. Jeongyeon was jihyo’s most trusted companion among all eight of her sisters, and ready to take the throne in her sister’s stead at a moment’s notice. She was chosen to be her backup in case things went wrong. 

A few murmurs resounded throughout the room at her words. Yes, even hueningkai knows why he was summoned. 

It would seem the war with the Under Fae has officially begun. The Light and Dark Fae have been preparing for this to happen against the Under Fae for hundreds of years now. It was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose. And it would seem that time has finally come. 

It was rare for the Light and Dark fae to get along together, but if there was anything they hated more than each other, it was their mutual hatred for the Under Fae. The Under Fae were fae that went rogue, turning their backs on the fae’s beliefs and way of life. They were despicable and horrible creatures. Instead of cherishing the energy and nature of the world, they caused harm to it. Destruction and death follow wherever they go, and they have been trying to slowly move into the lands of the light and dark fae in order to take it under their control. Instead of balancing the energies with the land, they feed off of it, taking it for themselves and draining it of life to a point of no return. 

“Yes, it is what you are all thinking. The war with the under fae has started. They are moving into our lands and trying to corner us. We are to ally ourselves with the dark fae and prepare for battle. We have gathered our top nobility and those that are directly related to the queen and her court here today so that we can divide and conquer,” she continued with a no-nonsense voice. 

Hueningkai flicked his gaze back and forth between the members of the queen’s inner court. Her sisters looked determined to win this war, the six male dark fae that served as her advisors all seemed to have a snarky grin on their lips and distrustful looks in their eyes. However, that was the usual look that the dark fae held. They were more wild than the light fae, often playing pranks and doing things in a barbaric manner. But they were equally as strong as the light fae, even when they were being pains in the ass to the queen. 

“We are going to be strategizing and assigning certain fae to areas that we think they will benefit us most in. there will be no objections,” the head of the dark fae spoke up, cutting jeongyeon off. She glared at him with irritation at his interruption and taking control. 

Hueningkai watched Ravn, the head of the queen’s advisors, stand up from his seat after speaking and clasp his hands behind his back. Unlike the fae of light who preferred to wear whites, light blues, and yellows, he wore silks of blacks, dark purples, and deep reds. It was all for show really, they didnt have to wear certain colors just based on their race, but the fae were dramatic like that. 

His right hand man, Leedo, also stood, handing Ravn a parchment with names. Ravn glanced at it, and then informed everyone where they will be placed to enforce their lands. 

“We already decided everything for you, so listen carefully as i read out your name,” he told them. A few of the light fae bristled at the command, but since he was royalty they couldnt disobey or voice their opinions. 

The nobles were in charge of sending their people of their respective regions to the queen’s captains and generals all over the realm in order to reinforce their military. Ravn began reading out their duties and directing the nobles on where to go. 

Finally, it came to hueningkai’s name. Ravn hissed it out with repulsion, and a few others that were in close proximity of him tried to step away. All eyes were on him, and he forced his body not to shrink in on itself in fear. He kept his head high, and resisted the urge to check to make sure his eye patch was still covering his one violet eye. 

Not that it did him much good. Everyone already knew what lay under it, what the one violet eye meant. He was a halfling, half vampire and half fae. He will never be accepted in this world, and his life has been nothing but hardship because of it. 

“You are to stand watch at the Half-Moon Lake and report anything you see.”

Huneingkai widened his eye, at a loss for words. 

“I object to that!” one of the sweeter of the sisters shouted out. Sana glared at Ravn with bitterness. “That lake is at the border of our land, he will be on the frontlines if he goes there!” 

“Well someone has to do it. The halfling has no family and no land to his name, as well as no people who service him. So he has to do it himself,” hwanwoong, another of the dark fae advisors said nonchalantly as he leaned back in his seat and examined his nails. 

“I agree, the job is too dangerous for him. He isnt fully fae, how do you expect him to guard the border of our realm against uncultured Under fae?” the queen spoke up. Her lips were pursed into a thin line while she glared at her advisors. 

“Are you taking sides, my queen?” Leedo taunted. 

Jihyo gritted her teeth at the corner she was backed into. Shes not allowed to take sides. She is to remain objective and logical. And right now it was the most logical thing, no matter how unethical she thinks it is. The halfling had no attributes to their society and so he was the best candidate to keep watch at the frontlines. 

“Of course not,” she hissed out between her teeth. 

“Then i dont see what the problem is,” Leedo remarked back. 

Ravn handed the parchment back to Leedo and clapped his hands. “Well that settles it. Everyone is to return to their districts and prepare for the worst!” he ordered.

All of the nobles bowed their heads in respect, then stood and began to filter out of the throne room. Hueningkai remained in his spot, staring at the ground and trying not to show weakness. His eyes burned with unshed tears at what just transpired. 

He was finally asked to return to the castle, and will be leaving it with a death sentence. 

***

Hueningkai gasped awake in the middle of the night, sitting up in bed. His heart was racing and sweat drenched his forehead and chest. He touched his cheeks and noticed they were wet.

Once in a while when he wakes up, he finds himself crying. But for what, he didnt know. 

This time, the fragments of a mysterious dream lingered on the edge of his consciousness. He wiped his wet cheeks and gulped in some cool air. 

The dream whispered for him to go, to leave this realm, to run away. 

And what choice did he have? His own people abandoned him, so why should he die for them? 

Without thinking twice, he quickly got ready, and soon disappeared into the night.

***

Despite knowing it would be dangerous, hueningkai ventured on the border of their realm where he was supposed to be stationed. It was outlined by a half moon lake, and rarely anyone comes here. 

The shape of the lake was rather special to the fae, almost symbolic. The crescent moon represented life, death, and rebirth, a changing of something in one’s life. The fae held festivals of all kinds on those days where the moon showed only half of itself in the night sky. 

Unfortunately, tonight was not one of those nights. 

His one green eye reflected on the water’s surface as he looked down into the lake. All he saw was his own reflection staring back at him. He wore the same long silk white shirt and leggings from earlier, his white eye patch still secured over his violet eye to hide what he truly was. 

Something called out to him, something he has felt his entire life in his heart but ignored. He wanted so badly to be like the other fae, so badly to fit in with the rest of his people, that he failed to realize how much more special he was compared to them. 

His eyes never left the water’s surface and his pulse began to race. He felt like he was entering a trance, but was still very much aware of what was going on around him. 

Like a door opening in front of him, the surface of the water changed into a mirror, showing him a crossroads of some kind. There were hundreds of paths set before him, trailing and winding around each other, and it intrigued him. 

He stood on the edge of the lake, his bare feet almost seeping into the water as he continued to look down into it. Both of his eyes were glowing, but only the green one was visible. 

For some reason, he knew what this meant. 

He was staring into time and space, the doors to the dimensions open for his own choosing. He could escape into any one of them, and nobody could ever follow or find him. His green and violet eyes were able to look into both worlds at once, showing him the way. 

Which path should be take? Which door should he open? The possibilities are endless, and he was uncertain. 

He broke his gaze with the mirrored surface of the water and looked behind him, his green eye flashing with the reflection of the fae world he was ready to leave behind. 

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and let his mind clear. He could hear and feel his heart pounding in his chest, the rhythm and sound almost like the drums of war. 

Without him realizing it, small red butterflies began to swarm around the forest and lake he was hidden in. They blinked full of soft red light, trailing small sparkles that reflected back like licks of flames behind their beautiful wings. 

With his eyes still shut, he effortlessly walked across the surface of the water until he was close to the center of the lake, his footsteps creating ripples in the water that glowed a bright blue, contrasting with the water’s dark color. Then he opened his eyes and looked below him, noting the different silver roads to other dimensions. 

He brought a bare foot up, as if he was going to take the first step into a new world, a new life. And then he brought that foot down, plunging through the water, his whole body falling through the surface and submerging under. 

However, where there should be water, was instead time and space. The lake he was standing on moments before shattered like broken glass, the bright blue ripples glowing and scattering, showing him an infinite number of dimensions he could venture into. 

He stood in this space, standing there without a clue of which direction he should go. He was at a crossroads of a sort, and he must choose quickly. 

His eyes caught on small red butterflies in the distance, swirling and disappearing down a road that was hidden among the rest. 

Without thinking, without hesitating, he stepped foot in that direction, his fate already decided long before that first step. 

A soft blue glow erupted around him, and once more he was plunging through a doorway to a new world, a veil. He brought his hands out to brace himself for impact, and soon he found himself landing softly on grass in the middle of another forest. 

But this forest was different, it wasn't as beautiful as the one from the fae realm. This forest was toxic and drained of life. He could taste the void’s magic in the air. 

He stood up, too busy studying his surroundings, that he didn't realize the danger he was in. 

He heard growls and chuckles, three vampires emerging from the trees. His body went cold, and his heart froze within his chest. 

His one green eye widened in terror, reflecting the oncoming vampires, death flashing before his eyes. 

He didn't even have time to blink or react. 

A few more steps and they would be upon him-

"No!" He heard a shout nearby. 

He flicked his green eyed gaze in the direction it came from, watching as a blonde vampire with violet eyes raced toward him as fast as he could. 

***

“No!” the vampire shouted, running as fast as he could to hueningkai. He wedged himself in between him and the other vampires, his lips pulled back into a snarl as he protected hueningkai without a second thought. The other vampires were angry at that, circling the blonde vampire like he was prey. 

Hueningkai didnt know what to do. He was frozen in terror at the events happening in front of him. Should he run? Should he fight? Where would he go? He was unfamiliar with this land. Maybe the other vampires with the bloodred eyes wouldnt harm him if they saw that he was one of them too. Maybe if he showed his violet eye, they would be convinced to back away.

Taking one good look at them though, and he knew there was no reasoning with them. They were filled with bloodlust, and would stop at nothing until they quenched their thirst.

Hueningkai was not weak. He had the grace and fluidity of the fae, and the strength and agility of the vampires. But even he knew his limits. Three vampires against two was not the best of odds. And the vampire in front of him could barely stand on his own two feet. 

“Stay away from him!” the blonde vampire warned, earning a few laughs from the crowd. Hueningkai shivered in fear at the sound, needing something to comfort him. He unconsciously reached forward and clutched onto the back of the vampire’s shirt, hoping it would give him some form of protection, no matter how small the gesture. He didnt even realize that he towered over the other by quite a few centimeters.

The vampire slowly started to back him up, searching for something. 

“You’re a traitor to our kind!” one of the vampires hissed at them. “How dare you protect what is clearly our food!”

The blonde vampire ignored him, disgust written all over his face.

“He’s not your food!” he hissed back. “You know the rules! We are not to harm any creatures when we feed!” 

The others laughed again, one of them stepping forward super fast to swipe out at them. The vampire dodged, but accidentally bumped into hueningkai who was still clinging to him like a second skin, causing them both to fall to the ground. The vampire quickly knelt near him, pulling on his arm to get up. Hueningkai sat up, trying to calm his racing heart and anxious nerves.

“Come on kid, you need to be a little more agile than that. Where’s your barrier so we can get you out of here?”

That brought on a whole new wave of fear at the mention of trying to return him back home. He escaped his prison only to end up crawling back to it. 

Hueningkai shook his head, finally looking at the vampire with fear in his one green eye. The other one was still covered with his white eye patch. “I can’t go back to the fae realm. They will hurt me there too!” he pleaded to the vampire. He was going to die either way, and this death at least seemed a lot more merciful here than what was going to happen in the fae realm.

“What?” he asked, glancing at the other vampires still coming closer. They were sitting ducks right here. 

Hueningkai’s eyes began to water, his heart and limbs heavy with the possibility of going back to a place where he would die alone.

“I dont belong there! I dont belong anywhere!” he sniffled. He was seriously going to cry, unable to control his emotions any longer. He finally had a touch of freedom, and it was gone in an instant.

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” the vampire muttered, shielding hueningkai as another vampire swiped at him, this time scratching him and causing blood to flow. Hueningkai’s eyes watched as the wound wasnt healing, finally realizing this vampire must have not fed for a very long time if he was unable to heal from a scratch. Hueningkai himself never needed to feed like other vampires, his fae side took over instead. He got his food from normal plants and vegetables, but also from the energy that flowed within the land he lived in. 

The vampire wasted no time. He hastily tried to pick hueningkai up, half dragging him deeper into the forest. “Look kid, its either get eaten by vampires, or yelled at by the fae. Your pick,” he whisper-yelled to hueningkai. “Now where is that damn barrier?!” he growled out. 

Hueningkai tried to shake his head. This vampire didnt understand. There was more than just getting yelled at, he was literally going to die at the hands of the Under Fae if he went back.

The vampires started hooting and hollering, allowing them to try and get away. It was all fun for them. The adrenaline building up before the chase began.

Hueningkai sniffled again, understanding what he must do. He didnt want this brave vampire to die just because of him. So he pointed towards the northwest edge of the forest. “Between those two willow trees,” he muttered. 

The vampire gave a grunt of relief. With as much strength as he could muster, he surged forward and half ran half limped towards the tree. Hueningkai tried to keep up, stumbling after him.

Just as they managed to get to the trees, hyuka looked at the vampire one last time, not realizing he had the same violet eyes as his right one that was covered. “Please mister,” he begged. “Please let me stay with you instead?” there were tears in his eyes. 

The blonde vampire’s violet eyes softened at him. By the look on his face, hueningkai already knew what his answer was going to be, but still he hoped. 

“What’s your name?” he asked him. 

“H-HueningKai,” the fae stuttered out. 

The vampire shook his head, and immediately hyuka’s heart plummeted. “Im sorry HueningKai. Fae arent safe with me. You belong in your own land. It surely cant be that bad there, right?” he asked, not realizing the weight of his words.

Still, he can try one more time. To give it his all before being forced back there. So he shook his head. “No! It really is! They will kill me back there!” 

The vampires were a few meters away now, obviously deciding play time was over with. 

The vampire shoved hueningkai back into the barrier, watching as he disappeared from sight, and there was nothing the fae boy could do. 

***

Hueningkai landed back on the grass beside the lake, his body and pulse pounding from the adrenaline and fear coursing through his veins. He was frozen on the spot, his arms and legs shaking. 

What was he to do now? Where does he go from here?

He stayed like that for many minutes, unmoving and as still as the water from the lake next to him. He didnt even notice a soft green light approach him and stand above him. 

He blinked as a hand was reached out in front of him, recognizing it as the fae queen’s. She waited patiently as he reluctantly took a hold of it, his brain too muddled to give her the proper greeting that she deserved. He stood up, staring at the lake with a wide glassy eye. 

Finally snapping out of his daze, he reached up and pulled the eye patch from his right eye, angrily throwing it into the water and revealing both of his eyes for once. The irises glowed with a vibrant green and violet color.

Swallowing despite his dry and scratchy throat, he spoke first.

“I dont understand,” he said. “Why am i so different from everyone?” he sounded a bit hopeless and defeated, the fight and will to live slowly draining from him after so many years. 

The fae queen looked at him, pity clearly written on her face no matter how hard she worked to hide it. She tried to word her next sentences carefully, so that she wouldnt scare hueningkai anymore than he already was.

“You were born for the void,” jihyo told him. “You were never meant to live here in this realm. Something must have happened with your timeline, throwing your soul into the fae realm where you ended up growing up.”

He let those words sink into his heart deeply, processing it.

“What am I?” hyuka finally whispered to her. “Why did the void create me?” he needed to know.

“You are the guardian of the crossroads,” she explained. There was sorrow in her eyes and voice, which gave hyuka a feeling like this is not something to be excited about. 

He gulped. “What does that mean?” 

“You are to stand guard at the point of the realms where souls pass through to new lives. You keep the paths in order. With your eyes you can see both worlds for what they really are. You have the sole ability to look into the void as well as the other dimensions at the same time.”

“And if i dont want to stand guard at the crossroads of life? If i want to live normally, here in this world?” he challenged, a slight quiver to his voice. 

The fae queen’s eyes dimmed, and his heart stuttered. He knew what she was going to say.

“You dont have a choice. The void wants you to direct the souls of its creation onto different paths so that they may be reborn. With your sight, you are to show them the way. You have to point them in the right direction, and map out the road they are meant to take. You are destined to live a lonely life in that time and space, isolated from the rest of us for eternity.”

Hyuka’s lips started to quiver at her harsh words, and his eyes began to water again with more unshed tears. He honestly doesnt know how he can get out of something like this. The void will hunt him forever, searching for him so that he is forced to go back to that dark and scary place, watching souls pass him by. 

Her heart broke for him. There is nothing she can do. He has to be able to do this on his own. 

“I cant save you from your fate, but i can help you prolong and avoid it for as long as possible,” she finally said. 

Hyuka’s eyes widened, glistening with a slight look of hope.

“How?” he asked desperately. 

Jihyo gave him a small smile, her facial features immediately getting prettier with the tiny gesture. 

“You need to run away,” she simply said. 

“Where will i go?” he whispered to her. 

“You can go anywhere you wish. You have the sole power to cross between worlds, entering and living in any dimension you want. The void cant stop you from travelling into any realm. So you need to think carefully. Where does your heart want to take you?” 

It was a heavy question, but not a difficult one. Hueningkai knew immediately where he wanted to go. 

Now that he can see himself more clearly, now that he understands what his purpose in life is, it was almost as if his entire mind and body opened up, no longer preventing him from holding back. He knows exactly what to do, exactly how to get there. The void created him for this important reason, so it would be pointless if he didnt. 

He smiled at the fae queen who has shown him nothing but kindness, and he bowed while holding out his shaky hand for her to take. 

“Will you accompany me there? To the place my heart truly wants to go? Im a little scared, and to be honest i have no idea what to expect,” he laughed nervously. He tried to give her a boyish smile, which anyone would fall for. How could she say no?

She gripped his waiting hand. “I would love to see it. The place where your gift will take you.”

Hueningkai breathed in a deep breath, and like before, he let his eyes flutter shut, closing his mind off from all of the paths and roads he was meant to guard. He focused on one thing, and one thing only. He wished it with all his heart. 

He wanted to go to a place where he would be safe and unconditionally loved. 

And so that’s where his gifts took him, letting him fall through the dimensions effortlessly. This time though, he did it on his own. There were no crimson butterflies to guide him and show him the way.

Jihyo was with him as long as she continued to hold his hand. 

And it was over in a second. 

She blinked and looked around, letting go of hueningkai’s hand. They were inside a reddish brown barrier, a small dimensional pocket that was heavily guarded by serious magic. Nobody would be able to enter a place like this. Well, nobody but hueningkai that is. Exotic plants and flowers of all kinds grew here, plants she has never seen before, and they continued to grow and wind themselves all around this isolated forest. The grass was soft, the trees were greener than even in the fae realm. The moon shone down on it all with a softhearted glow. She looked up to the sky, admiring the stars. 

It was breathtaking, almost like a small secret magical island hidden from the rest of the world.

“This is where your heart has taken you?” she asked the halfling. 

“Yeah, but i dont know why,” hyuka said, a little nervous. 

Just then, some movement and soft murmurs could be heard coming from the trees. Immediately hyuka went on guard, waiting for the newcomers to reveal themselves, hoping it wasnt more dangerous creatures wanting to kill him. 

“Im telling you soobin, i felt someone enter through my barrier. I closed off the veil so nobody should be able to see it-” 

Hueningkai blinked as two figures emerged through the plants and trees. They too stopped in their tracks and stared at him. He immediately wanted to shrink in on himself at the way they were looking at him so intensely. 

One boy was taller than the other, with black hair and a gentle face. The other had blue hair and fox-like features. 

The one with cunning fox-like eyes stepped forward slightly in front of the other, an act of protection that hueningkai immediately recognized. Then the blue-haired boy flicked his gaze all over hyuka, this time making him actually shrink in on himself in the hopes that he would look smaller, which was kind of ridiculous since he was so tall, almost as tall as the dark haired boy.

His mind went into overdrive for a few seconds. Oh no, did he accidentally intrude on someone’s personal realm? It was quite common to find pockets of fae realms that they make for their own pleasure to live in. Or maybe he got it wrong and instead his gifts took him somewhere else entirely, or-

“Hey soobin?” The blue haired boy said, calling out for the other without taking his eyes off of hueningkai. 

“Hmm?” soobin answered on a hum. 

“Remember when we met, how i accidentally told you ive been waiting for the time when all of you would join me?” he asked suddenly. 

Soobin flicked his eyes to the fox spirit, raising a brow. “Yes yeonjun, I do…” he trailed off. 

“Well, _now_ would be one of those times,” yeonjun said, removing his gaze from hyuka and smiling cheekily at soobin. Soobin kept his face blank, studying yeonjun for a moment before returning his gaze back to hyuka. 

It was a strange interaction, one that hueningkai had no idea what to make of. 

The fae queen stepped forward, taking this moment to introduce herself. “It would seem we got the right place after all,” she told hyuka, obviously reading his worried expression from moments before. “My name is jihyo, queen of the fae,” she said to the other two. 

They blinked in small surprise, but other than that, they didnt show much of a reaction.

“My name is soobin, and this here is yeonjun,” soobin said, not missing a beat. They both bowed to the queen and then stood back up without being told. Hyuka was surprised they acted so boldly in front of a figure of power. But then again, they have no allegiance to the fae realm, so he supposes it was not out of disrespect if they didnt show complete formality to his queen. “What brings you to our home?” soobin asked, his voice smooth like velvet. 

As much as jihyo would like to view soobin with high regards, it was yeonjun she turned to. He was technically fae, so he would be the one to address this matter. She will feel more comfortable passing off one of her own people to another of their kind, even though yeonjun would never be viewed as pure fae in her kingdom. 

Soobin was not offended in the slightest. He knows the way of the fae and wisely let yeonjun handle the matter.

“This is a new addition to your group. He is a halfling that is on the run and must be protected.”

Yeonjun stared at the beautiful but fragile looking boy, one eye green and the other eye violet. Instantly he turned, and then he and soobin shared a knowing look with each other, wide smiles on their faces.

“He’s the cutest in the world!! Don't you agree with me soobinnie?!” yeonjun asked the other, joy on his face. 

Soobin nodded. “His eyes...ive never seen anything like it,” he noted out loud.

Hueningkai tensed up, shifting slightly behind the queen. He hated whenever both of his eyes were visible to others. It was the clear sign that he wasnt quite like anything of this world. 

“He is half fae and half vampire, will that be a problem?” the queen asked, sensing hueningkai’s distress. 

Yeonjun let out a boisterous laugh that made hueningkai flinch. “Are you seriously asking us that? Im a fox spirit with no master and soobin is a pureblood vampire with no home. We found each other, and now we finally found hyuka. Of course not! He was meant to be here, and you damn well know it,” yeonjun grinned at her, doing a little happy dance around soobin. He couldnt help it. This is the happiest he’s been in a long time, if ever. Now if only taehyun would hurry the hell up and rejoin him…but of course he kept that thought to himself.

Soobin rolled his eyes, ignoring yeonjun’s chaotic behavior. He’s grown accustomed to it in the short time they have been together. 

“I didnt mean to offend you about your eyes,” soobin told hueningkai with a soft voice. He was sharper than hyuka gave him credit for. He must have realized his discomfort about his eyes being pointed out. “Its just that they are so pretty. And see, i have violet eyes too,” soobin continued, pulling up his black bangs so that hyuka can see them better. 

Soobin let his bangs drop back over his forehead, and he held out a hand for hueningkai to take. “We really would like to have you. Will you join us? ” he asked, a compassionate smile on his face and dimples appearing on his cheeks. 

Hueningkai stared at him like a frightened deer for several long seconds. They both ignored the fox spirit, who was still babbling in the background, acting like an idiot. 

Soobin was nothing but patient with the half fae, a certain calm presence surrounding him. It made hueningkai feel safe and welcomed. He felt the fear that has been gripping his heart for so many years start to melt and disappear. So he did something that surprised both him and soobin. 

He ran past the fae queen, and instead of taking soobin’s waiting hand, he flung himself into his arms, burying his face into his chest so that he could hide from the rest of the world. Soobin blinked in shock, but then his eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around hueningkai, rocking them back and forth slightly with comfort. 

Even yeonjun stopped in his tracks, smiling softly at the fae boy and sharing another look with soobin. 

It was obvious between the two of them. He was theirs to keep from now on. 

Yeonjun turned to the fae queen, finally addressing her one last time, immediately switching back to a more serious appearance. “We will take good care of him,” he promised her. “He is ours now.”

The fae queen nodded her head. “Thank you, i am so glad he finally has a place to call a home. And we have to also thank the vampire that saved him from being killed earlier. He has curly blonde hair and eyes as violet as soobin’s. You will know immediately who he is if you ever meet him.” 

Soobin flicked his gaze down at the boy in his arms, his heart feeling warm and content. He patted his hair a few times in a soothing gesture. “We will remember,” he said without removing his sight from hueningkai. “We will forever be indebted to that vampire.” 

Jihyo addressed the halfling, speaking loudly so that he could hear her final words to him. “Kai Kamal Huening,” she said with a smile. “Your name really does suit you.” 

Then the fae queen left yeonjun’s magical dimension, breathing a sigh of relief now that she was sure one of her nobility would be well taken care of. 

Its up to them to protect him from the void. 

Finally, she has one final task to do before she can return to her realm to prepare for war, and it involves helping a selfless blonde haired, violet eyed vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Water" by Oliver Shanti


	7. not an update: note from the author

Hello everyone!

First I want to thank you for all of your support and love for this fic. I honestly appreciate it, and I'm always grateful.

This is a notice to let you all know that I will be going on a small hiatus. It won't be permanent, I just don't feel like writing right now at the moment and I also have some testing to do coming up. 

Don't worry though! I will not abandon this fic or any of my fics ever! I just wouldn't be proud of writing a chapter I wasn't happy with, so instead of forcing myself I'm just going to take some time off.

I have the next chapter pretty much done, so I might post that very soon, but other than that...yeah.

I will always let you guys know what's up with my fics and never leave you hanging.

That is all. Thank you <3 


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